Loki Admin: Twixt Light and Dark
by Usyra
Summary: The sequel to Loki Admin: The Selkirk Rex Legacy. When Loki is called upon to destroy an evil force, Shizuka is captured by another. How can he hope to defeat two impending threats at the same time? Complete, with an ending theme after the last chapter.
1. Confession of Affection

The story so far…

I trained under Sensei Selkirk Rex for most of my life, until I was fourteen. He had a plan; once I defeated him, I'd become the new Selkirk Rex, and I'd in turn train a new apprentice who'd one day surpass me. Then a man named Odion, posing as a man named Marik, invited me to join the Ghouls. I knew it meant an opportunity to acquire some new, strong cards. Before I left, Sensei gave me a pendant with his favorite card, Fusilier Dragon. He claimed it was a reminder to return someday, but it was actually a way for him to project his spirit to wherever I was to act as my conscience.

After two years, I met Yugi and his friends. Their kindness and friendship reminded me that there was more to being a duelist than the acquisition of cards, so I turned against the Ghouls. When the real Marik turned into a monster, I realized I'd actually have to work with Yugi to defeat him.

Yugi beat me in the finals and took the Obelisk the Tormentor I won from Kaiba. I would've been sad to lose after going so far, but I knew Marik had to be stopped, as well as the importance of the pharaoh learning about his past. As I left the Duel Tower, Sensei appeared before me in person, telling me his real name was Darius Lynch, and that I already defeated him. He dubbed me the new Selkirk Rex, and I returned his card.

Then Yugi defeated Marik's darkness, and won the final God Card, as well as the key to unlocking the secrets of his past. Marik, Ishizu, and Odion returned to Egypt, Duke Devlin returned to America, and I went with Shizuka to teach her how to be a strong and honorable duelist like Joey.

This story continues before and during a period of history that I call the Yin-Yang saga…

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

Late. How dare she be late for her first lesson? It took a long time for me to think up a lesson plan; since she agreed to let me teach her, the least she could do was show up on time. If I were in her shoes, I'd be thinking up a damn good excuse, lest she be struck down by my wrath.

Master Lynch wouldn't have excused me, so there's no reason I should've excused her.

Then again, Master Lynch was like a dad to me as well as a teacher. And I kind of have an infatuation with Shizuka. It's hard for me to think straight when I'm around her. Luckily, such isn't the case during a duel. In a duel, I'm a merciless warrior. And I'm usually the same way in real life but, as I said, Shizuka can make me lose focus.

She makes me crazy, and in more ways than one.

About twenty minutes after she was supposed to meet me she arrived, still dressed in her school uniform. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I was mopping my homeroom. I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"_Kawaii! She's so cute in that uniform!"_ I smacked my head, partly to scold myself for thinking that, and also because I forgot something. "Duh! I forgot it's customary for the kids to take turns at clean-up duty. Anyway, it's time to begin your lesson."

"But I forgot my Duel Disk."

"You won't need it." I led her to the park. Once we arrived I said, "Now, I want you to try to push me over."

She frowned. "You're kidding, right?"

"No." I dug in my heels. "I want you to try your best to push me down. And while you do, I want you to listen to my lecture. This exercise is to sharpen your listening and learning skills, even in the heat of combat."

"…Ok." She ran up to me took my hands, and tried to push me off balance.

As she strained, I began to speak. "You've heard talk about the 'Heart of the Cards', both from Yugi and myself. You've probably come to the conclusion that it means if you have enough faith, you'll be able to draw whatever you need, whenever you need it. But it runs deeper than that. When you have a true connection to your cards, you can duel without thought; you can duel with mere instinct, because you know exactly what your cards are.

"In a sense, part of your heart becomes the cards. You become the monsters that defend you, as well as the ones that attack. You become the spells that strengthen your forces and the traps that disrupt your opponent. You become the effect of each card, and every last lifepoint you lose and gain. And each time you carelessly lose a monster, you lose a part of your heart that you can't get back. If you carelessly get rid of your cards, your heart fades until it disappears completely. And a heartless duelist is a losing duelist."

I could tell that even though she was putting all of her strength into pushing me down, she was listening to every last word. That pleased me greatly. "But it extends beyond your side of the field. You also become your opponent's monsters, the spells that cripple you, the traps waiting to disrupt you, and your opponent's lifepoints. You become your opponent; you're his hopes and dreams, you're his hand and deck, and you're even the strategy he plans to take you down with. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said without masking the strain in her voice. "You're saying everything in the duel is connected, one way or the other!"

"That's right. And in that state of Zen, your emotions disappear, and you're run purely by instinct."

To my surprise, she knocked me off balance by kicking my right leg. Without that support, she easily knocked me down. Unfortunately, my head collided with a tree. She gasped and knelt beside me, holding up three fingers. "I'm so sorry! How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Ooh, look at the pretty fishes!" I chuckled and said, "Don't worry; I'm fine. However, that was a dirty trick. You haven't become a dirty girl, have you?"

"No! I promise!"

"Too bad." I wasn't the one who said that. To my left, about twenty feet away, was a guy in a school uniform. "Don't tell me this is the teacher you were telling me about earlier, Shizuka. You're stronger than he is!"

"You know of me, then?" I asked as I climbed to my feet. "I guess I'm at a disadvantage, because I know nothing of you."

"No, I guess you wouldn't. The name's Aiko. And now, I must respectfully insist that you stop hanging with Shizuka."

"Why should I? Are you afraid she'll become stronger than you are?"

His eye twitched slightly. "Of course I'm not. She could never be that strong of a duelist. She just has better things to do with her time than spend it with you."

Ok, I really didn't like what he said about Shizuka's abilities. But I had the feeling he meant it differently than it sounded. That's why I decided to let it slide, but only once. Still, it didn't mean I wasn't going to talk about it. "I haven't even begun to teach Shizuka how to duel. But once I do, she'll even catch Seto Kaiba's attention."

"Heh. The only way that could happen is if she wore nothing but a Duel Disk." A second later, his head had a short, unpleasant encounter with my fist. He hit the ground hard. "What the hell was that?"

"When you insult my friends, I consider it a challenge to me. That punch was simply a way of saying, 'I accept.'"

He climbed to his feet. "You wanna duel? Then let's go!"

"Sensei, no!" Shizuka cried out. "Don't duel him!"

"He pushed me too far," I replied. "In the United Kingdom, the knights used to have a code of chivalry. Men who are rude to kind girls deserve everything they get. And that, I'm afraid, is a code I always abide by."

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

We made our way to a dueling arena, where the tensions ran high, as there were a lot of people there who knew him. Apparently, my opponent was the big man on campus, being the school's top-ranked Kendo star. I wasn't remotely worried; I practiced swordplay myself, so this guy wouldn't be a challenge off the battlefield. On the battlefield, however…

"I hope you're ready to get beat," said Aiko.

"I think you'll find that I'm ready for almost anything," I shot back. "It's time to duel!"

4000/4000

"I'll go first," he said. "I summon Masaki, the Legendary Swordsman (1100/1000)! Then, I activate The Allied Forces! As long as this card remains on the field, all of my warrior monsters gain 200 attack points for every warrior and spellcaster on my side of the field. That's all for me."

I drew and examined my hand. "Hmm…oh, darn. All I can do is summon Chthonian Soldier (1200/1400) and set two cards."

"If there's any proof that Shizuka can't duel, just look at the fact that you're teaching her." I heard some laughter in the audience, mostly at my expense. "Alright, I summon Command Knight (1200/1900)! And this monster gives all of my warrior monsters 400 attack points!"

I frowned. "And since you now have two warriors on your field, your monsters receive 400 more from The Allied Forces. Altogether, your monsters have…800 extra attack points!"

"Well, at least you can add. Masaki, take out his monster!" He succeeded in destroying my monster, but received a nasty surprise.

3300/3300

"What the?" he exclaimed. "Why did my lifepoints drop too?"

"I guess you didn't know about my monster's special ability. Whenever it's destroyed in battle, you take lifepoint damage equal to the damage I took. And now, I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted! It brings my monster back in attack mode! Care to try again?"

Aiko growled. "I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face. Command Knight, wipe out his monster again!" Once again, my poor monster took a trip to the graveyard.

2500/2500

I chuckled. "So, will you end your turn, or would you like to beat yourself up some more?"

"I end my turn."

"Glad to hear it," I said as I drew. "I enjoyed watching you hit yourself, but it's only fair I get a chance to humiliate you some."

"So what if you took a few lifepoints from me? You're still up against a pair of incredibly dangerous warriors."

"Not for long. It's time you met a warrior of mine; Mataza the Zapper (1300/800)! My monster has the ability to attack twice per turn."

"What's it matter? My monsters are stronger!"

"Not after I activate Reverse Trap! For this turn, it turns all increases to attack and defense points into decreases, and visa versa. In other words, your monsters are made weaker by their effects!"

"What? You can't just-"

"I just did," I replied with a shrug. "Mataza, chop his Masaki to pieces!"

2500/1500

"And now, I take out your Command Knight!"

2500/800

"I think you've endured enough this turn, so I'll set a card and end my turn."

Aiko clenched his fists. "Ok, that's it! I've been going easy on you up to this point. You pulled off a few good moves, but you're still just a nobody compared to me."

"'Nobody'?" I demanded. "Don't you know I placed third in the Battle City tournament?"

"Yeah, sure you did. If that were true, you'd have to be…" Suddenly, his face flushed. "Loki Admin?"

"You didn't even know who I was before we started?" I asked. "That's very disrespectful of you. Now, make your move!"

"I surrender!" he quickly said. "If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have pushed you. Forgive me."

2500/0

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

After Aiko apologized to Shizuka, she stormed out. It took me about thirty minutes to find her. She was on a bench outside her home. "What's wrong?" I asked as I slowly approached.

"I didn't ask you to stand up for me," she answered, with bitterness in her voice.

"I told you, chivalry isn't dead in me. I can't just stand back while some random guy insults you."

"He wasn't some random guy! He was my boyfriend."

That simple statement hurt me more than anything I can possibly think of. "He's your…boyfriend?"

She looked away. "Well, sort of." I sat beside her. "I was never really popular. I was too shy to assert myself, even before my eyes really started to go. I started hanging around with the kendoka groupies, hoping he'd notice me."

"I guess he did," I muttered. "After all, he knew your name."

"Of course, I was never his girlfriend. I was pretty much his servant; I did his homework, tended to his shinai, picked up after him, and…other stuff."

"What a slime ball," I snarled.

"He never touched me or anything." She sighed. "That was the problem. It shot the heck out of my self-esteem that no matter what I did for him, the only thing he did in return is learn my name."

That was when I realized why she was upset with me. "And because of me, he'll take steps to make sure I don't see you with him again. I'm sorry, but you can still do a lot better than him."

"I know. I shouldn't have snapped at you; especially since you did the right thing." She turned to me and blushed. "And…thanks for saying that."

"I said it because it's true. You're so sweet and innocent; you deserve someone who'll do anything for you; who'll love every little thing about you…" I quickly stopped trying to complete my thought and moved on to a different one. "…I should get going. You probably have some homework to do, and I need to work on tomorrow's lesson plan."

"Ok, Loki-Sensei," she answered. We stood up, exchanged a respectful bow, and went our separate ways.

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

However, the next day's lesson plan was the last thing on my mind. I spent that night putting my thoughts into a journal I picked up since I became Shizuka's teacher.

"_When I first met Shizuka, I developed an innocent crush on her. I tried to ignore the feeling, because I believed her affections must've lay elsewhere. But the more I saw her, the stronger the feelings became. Soon, I felt the need to protect her any way I could, including being prepared to sacrifice myself. By the end of the Battle City tournament, my infatuation was so strong, I took her on as my apprentice the instant I became the Selkirk Rex. But today, I came into a shocking revelation. I discovered I was in love with her._

"_I broke the first rule of being a teacher, and fell in love with my student. I try to convince myself that it's not so bad, since there's only a one-year gap between us, but I'm not entirely sure that it validates my feelings. If I start caring for her in that fashion, it'll undoubtedly carry over into my teachings, and I fear that'll only hinder her progress. So for now, I'm going to only express my feelings in the pages of this journal. I hope with all my heart that I can find the solution to the puzzle of my life. If I don't, this journal will be the only proof of my feelings._

"_Loki Admin, the Selkirk Rex"_

After I wrote down all of my conflicting emotions, I read over everything I wrote in a desperate attempt to see if somewhere in my ramblings was the answer I was searching for. The only thing I found was the pathetic whining of a love-struck fool. Of course, I couldn't simply ask Darius Lynch for help; I no longer held that special link to him, and he had no other means of contact with the outside world.

I closed my journal and looked up at the ceiling of my apartment. _"What the hell is wrong with me?"_ I asked myself. _"Looking back on everything I've done, I thought I grew. Instead, I'm acting like that dumb kid who joined the Ghouls two years ago. Is that what this thing called 'love' is supposed to do?"_

I walked out to the balcony, looking down on the city. _"This must be what Darius was talking about." _I think I was thirteen when he explained love to me. He said it was a wonderful, indescribable feeling. He also said my first love would make me stupid, though I'd eventually recover. And if the love ended somehow, it'd be the worst pain ever. He said that I'd recover from that too.

"But what happens if my first love doesn't end, and I don't recover from my stupidity?" I asked, even though he couldn't hear me. "What then?"

And what shocked me the most that day happened the very moment I posed the question. In my mind, I formed another answer, but one that I may never find the answer to.

"_If I find the means to recover, do I even want to?"_

End Chapter

Forgive the mushiness of the first chapter. There will be some action coming up soon, I promise. R&R.


	2. Blinded by the Light

**Loki's Eyes**

I finally got to bed at about 4:30 the next morning, but was wakened by a phone call at 5 o' clock. You can imagine how annoyed I was. Nevertheless, I figured that whoever had reason to call me so early probably had a good reason. I lurched out of bed and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"It's me." He needed no introduction; I recognized him as Darius Lynch.

"You have some nerve, calling me at five in the morning," I snarled.

"You think you have problems? Think about the time zones. It's 3 o' clock in the morning where I am!"

I thought about it. "Wait a minute. There's a nine-hour difference between here and the Ireland. If it's 5 AM here, it should be about 8 PM where you are."

There was silence on the other end for a little while. "Let me start from the beginning. I'm not in Ireland; I'm in Romania. There's a bit of a problem here, and I need your help."

"In Romania?" I reiterated, to make sure I heard him correctly.

"Indeed. Take the 8:40 train on platform 36; the conductor works for me, and will to go beyond the final stop to a secret underground track that'll eventually end up in a station in Zalau. An informant of mine will have a sign with your name on it. Walk up to her and say, 'Heretics and angels are among us'. She'll reply with, 'I've seen no angels lately'. Then you answer, 'Soon, you won't see many heretics'. Then, just do what she says, and eventually we'll meet up."

"…Is this a crank call?"

"NO!" he snapped. "Nothing less than the fate of the world is at stake!"

"And you expect me to help, how?"

"We need expert duelists, and you're the best I know. I'd ask Yugi, except he's probably keen on taking a break from ancient evil forces."

"So am I. …Fine, I'll help. After I get a few more hours of shut-eye, I'll head out for you immediately. Bye." With that, I hung up. _"Damn. It hasn't even been three days since the Battle City tournament, and I'm already caught in another adventure to save the world. How do these things happen to me? …It's probably Yugi's fault."_

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

I was very surprised by Loki-Sensei's phone call; especially in the middle of breakfast. That's probably why I was completely caught off-guard by what he said to me. "Why are you going to Zalau, Romania?"

"I told you, I have to save the world," he answered. "We'll have to put your teachings on hiatus for a while."

"You're not…trying to avoid me, are you?"

"Of course not! Why would you ask that?"

"I guess I thought you'd invite me."

I could perfectly envision his smile. "Shizuka, you gotta keep in mind this: if this wasn't so dangerous and I wasn't concerned with your safety, do you think your mom would ever let you come with me to Romania?"

I sighed. "No, I guess not. You'll come back safely, won't you?"

"How could I not, when I have someone like you to come back to? …I-I mean, I can't let my apprentice get out of her training that easily!" he hastily corrected. "Seriously, I'll be fine. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Loki-sensei."

After I hung up the phone, mom asked me, "Was that the boy you started hanging out with?"

"Yes, mom."

"I know I said it before, but whenever you're around him, make sure you remember your Judo lessons." If you couldn't tell, mom doesn't really trust Loki.

"I will," I answered as I grabbed my backpack. "I'm headed out, mom!"

"Have a good day at school, dear!" she called as I walked out the door.

"I will, mom!" But I knew that wasn't going to happen. Ever since Loki came around, my life took a turn for the better. I started believing in myself more; I even made a few new friends since I met him. For him to not be around felt like forgetting to shower; it just didn't feel right. As the day went on, I kept telling myself he'd be back; that he was going on a short vacation.

But I was still worried. It's kind of hard to say but…I have a crush on him. I know I shouldn't, since he's like my teacher. But it's so easy to give in, since he's my hero.

On the day of the surgery that would save my eyesight, I was too scared to go through with it if my big brother wasn't there. If Loki didn't help bring him, I'd probably be blind right now. Then he dazzled me even more, when I took the bandages off my eyes, and the first sight I saw was Loki dueling to save my brother from Marik's control. It was a crush so strong that when he tried to save me again, I decided to sacrifice myself to save him instead. And even so, I still don't consider us even. I feel that no matter how many times I sacrifice myself, I'll always owe my life to him.

Obviously, that's not the only thing that attracted me to him. I find him to be very handsome, but he still maintains his boyish cuteness. While he comes off as cold, he's really sweet and sensitive. He can be very funny when he wants to be, though most of his jokes are meant to be witty rather than funny. I may not be as good at dueling as he is, but even to my amateur eye, I can clearly see that he's very skilled, to say the least.

I consider it a great honor that he chose me to be the one to train. If I never met him, I'd have been different. …No, I'd have been _lesser _if I never met him. While my training may be far from complete, he opened my eyes to the game in a way I never thought possible.

I owe him everything, and I'll never be freed from my debt until I fulfill my duty by defeating him in a duel and passing on the flame. He assures me that I can do it, and I almost always believe him. But I truly hope that that day is a long way off.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

The only upside to Loki-Sensei going to Transylvania was that I didn't have his lessons to look forward to. Therefore, the day passed quicker than usual.

As I packed up, I heard someone call out, "Hey, Shizuka! Do you want to hang over at my house?"

I recognized the voice as Naomi, one of the new friends I made recently. "No thanks," I answered, without looking up. "I have a bunch of homework I have to catch up on. Algebra stuff, you know?"

"Yuck! Say no more. I'll see you later." I knew her well enough to know that talking to her about algebra was like offering a vampire a pizza with extra garlic. I heard her speed off as quickly as her legs would carry her.

What I said wasn't exactly a lie. It wasn't algebra, but it was homework that I had to do alone. I'm sure Loki-Sensei would've wanted me to continue practicing in his absence, so that's what I did. As soon as I got home, I pulled out my card collection and started building my deck.

I sat on the floor and stared at my cards for about an hour, trying to think of a theme I could use; while I contemplated my strategy, I thought back to Battle City, and the themes the finalists used. Kaiba has his Power, Marik has his Immortality, Yugi has his Strategy, and Loki-Sensei has his Counter.

I'll pause a moment to explain them briefly. Kaiba's Power deck is filled with very strong monsters, with the intent of overwhelming an opponent's defense. Marik's Immortality deck is meant to continually resurrect and powerful monsters that are destroyed. Yugi's Strategy deck lets him make a good move no matter what he draws. Loki-Sensei's Counter deck basically gives him an opening whenever his opponent makes a move.

None of them seemed to work with the cards I had. I didn't have good enough monster effects for a Counter or Strategy, I didn't have strong enough monsters for a Power, and I didn't have enough revival magic for Immortality. But Loki-Sensei always complimented me on my creativity, and I refused to make it a false statement.

After much contemplation, I decided to go for a different strategy; direct attacks! I figured that since most of my cards weren't good enough to go head-to-head against other monsters, I'd just ignore them and use effects that damage my opponent. However, as good of a concept as it was, after an hour of deck building, the deck I built was pretty low tier.

"Try adding Smashing Ground; it's a handy spell."

Surprised by the unfamiliar voice, I spun around. At the door to my room was a man wearing an overcoat, muscle shirt, and pants; all of which were the brightest shade of white I've ever seen. "Who are you?"

"I am Kazuki, messenger of Gabriel," he answered. "I was drawn to your purity."

I stood up, about an arm's length from a telephone. "How did you get in here?"

"Your mother invited me in, after I told her the two of us were friends."

"We're not friends; I never even met you until just now."

He gave a casual shrug. "Details. We were destined to meet, Shizuka. You have great potential, and I'm sure that with your help, we can vanquish all darkness."

He seemed way too sure of himself to be joking. Therefore, I assumed he was crazy. "Please, go away," I said.

He gave a sad sigh. "I'm sorry to hear that; I thought you'd be more open-minded. Very well, I'll take my leave." Suddenly, he rushed over and grabbed my wrist. "However, you're coming with me."

"GET OFF!" I screamed. Then, using a trick I learned in my Judo class, I shifted my weight and tossed him over my shoulder. He slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground as I ran out of my room. "Mom, call the cops! That guy you let in is-" But to my horror, Mom was unconscious on the floor. In my panic, I ran over and shook her. "Please, wake up! WAKE UP!"

"She's just resting," said Kazuki as he walked towards us. "She wouldn't let me in, so I decided she needed a nap." He extended his hand towards me. "You won't be hurt if you come with me, quietly."

I answered by running Godspeed to the door. To my surprise, there was a woman at the door, dressed exactly like he was. Before I could react, she thrust her knee into my chest, knocking all the wind out of me. "That's what you should've done in the first place," the woman said to Kazuki as I sank to the ground.

"It kind of sets the wrong tone," he argued, "if we act like the evil we're fighting against."

"The straightforward approach never fails for me." She then reached down and forced a chloroform-soaked rag in my face. I'd have fought back, but I couldn't even rise from the fetal position. A few seconds later, the world turned black.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

"Shizuka? Are you awake?"

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to adjust to the light. The room I was in was as white as the clothes worn by that mysterious pair. I was lying against the wall, with my wrists shackled above me.

"Ugh," was the best response I could come up with at the moment. When my eyes finally came back, I saw the person who asked the question. "Yugi? Is that you?"

He was sitting next to me, along with Téa, both of whom were shackled in the same way as me. Yugi was missing his Millennium Puzzle and Téa was wearing gym clothes. "Yeah," he answered. "In spite of the circumstances, it's nice to see you again."

"Did those guys break into your house and chloroform you too?"

"No. This woman in a white robe challenged me to a duel in the street, and I accepted. After I beat her, she said something about me being worthy. Then she hit me with a tranquilizer."

"That's nothing," said Téa. "I was in the girl's locker room, changing out of my gym clothes, when one of those creeps came from behind me and gagged me by stuffing a sock into my mouth. Then he pushed me through a portal and chained me to the wall, next to Yugi." She made a face. "I can still taste the sock!"

"Why are we here?" I asked.

Yugi sighed. "I don't know. Because we're friends? Because we know Marik? Because we were at Battle City? Those are things we have in common, but they can be applied to a lot more people than just the three of us."

"I guess we weren't picked because of our dueling talent. You're the world champ, and Téa and I both stink."

"Hey, that's not true!" snapped Téa. "Before Duelist Kingdom, I used to beat Joey on a regular basis." A moment later, the door opened up and another man in white stepped through with his hand behind his back. "You'd better let us go now!"

"I intend to," he answered in a soft, sweet voice. "My name is Hikaru, messenger of Michael. You three have been chosen-"

"Kidnapped," I corrected.

"…You've been _forcefully _chosen to join us. We are the Society of Light: a group of duelists dedicated to destroying all darkness in this world, one duel at a time."

"And of all the duelists in the world, you chose us," Yugi hissed. "I'm flattered. I refuse. Now, give back the Millennium Puzzle!"

"I couldn't possibly do that. It was created from darkness, and is therefore unsuitable for a member of our group. After all, you three duelists have the brightest auras outside the Society, and we can't have that cursed item tainting you, can we?"

"Get it through your head!" I snapped. "We'll never join, no matter what you do."

"If you don't wish to join, then you may leave…if you three can defeat me in a duel."

"Hey, wait!" protested Téa. "That's not fair!"

"I only started learning to duel this week!" I added. "Yugi's the only one here with any real experience."

"And a lot of it," Hikaru agreed. "So, the stakes are thus; if Yugi wins, all three of you go free. However, if he loses…all three of you go free."

Yugi frowned. "So we're go free no matter who wins? What are you up to?"

"That's very suspicious of you. But it's forgivable under the circumstances." He pulled two Duel Disks from behind his back, placing one at Yugi's feet and equipping the other to his arm. "I assume you accept the challenge?"

"You're on." After Yugi's shackles were unlocked, he immediately put the Duel Disk on. "You're going to pay for hurting my friends!"

"I didn't hurt them too badly," Hikaru said as activated his Duel Disk. "And I predict that you'll actually thank me when this duel's done."

4000/4000

"And since we're dueling in my domain, I'll make the first move. I'll start by summoning the Agent of Creation – Venus (1600/0). Next, I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"Fine," said Yugi. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600)!

"And I trigger my Solemn Wishes trap! It gives me 500 lifepoints every time I draw."

"Then I'll place three cards facedown, and attack your Agent of Creation – Venus!"

4000/3900

Hikaru flinched at the impact. "I should've expected such an impressive opening."

"Thanks. Now, make your move!"

4000/4400

"As you wish," said Hikaru. "I activate the field spell Mausoleum of the Emperor; when summoning high-level monsters, it lets me sacrifice my lifepoints instead of other monsters. Now, I tribute 1000 lifepoints…"

4000/3400

"…to bring out Agent of Judgment – Saturn (2400/0)! Next, I reveal my facedown card, Blast with Chain! This trap equips to a monster; then its attack points are raised by 500. I attack your Magnet Warrior!"

2800/3400

"Then, I'll set one card and end my turn."

I noticed Yugi seemed worried about something. That, in turn, made me worried.

"You can beat him, Yugi!" cheered Téa.

I was surprised by the spontaneity, but quickly joined her. "Yeah! This guy has nothing on you!"

Yugi nodded. "Thanks, guys. I activate Graceful Charity! It lets me draw three cards, but forces me to discard two. Next, I'll activate my facedown trap, Disgraceful Charity, which lets me pick up as many cards as I threw away. Then, I use Monster Reborn to bring my Beta the Magnet Warrior from the graveyard. Then, I sacrifice it, along with the Magnet Warriors Alpha and Gamma from my hand, in order to bring out Valkyrion the Magna Warrior (3500/3850)!"

Hikaru smiled. "That's a very impressive monster you have there."

"If you liked that, then you'll love this; I use the Rope of Life trap to bring back the Buster Blader (2600/2300) I discarded with Graceful Charity! It cost me all the other cards in my hand, but it gives my Buster Blader 800 more attack points. Buster Blader, attack his monster!"

"That won't work. I reveal my trap card, Waboku! For the duration of the turn, it makes all damage to my monsters and lifepoints zero."

Yugi groaned. "Well, I'll use my facedown Card of Sanctity, forcing the both of us to draw until we each hold six cards in our hands. That's all for me."

2800/4400

I didn't like the grin Hikaru had on his face. "That was an impressive move; your title as King of Games is well deserved. But now, I'll make you see the light. First, I activate Emergency Provisions! It lets me destroy any number of traps or spells on my field, and gives me 1000 lifepoints for each one! So I destroy Blast with Chain!"

2800/5400

"And that activates the secondary effect of Blast with Chain: whenever it's destroyed by an effect, I can destroy one card on the field. I choose Valkyrion the Magnet Warrior!"

Yugi looked in horror as his monster was blown up. "That was my strongest monster!"

"And it doesn't end there. I use the field spell, Sanctuary in the Sky! It nullifies any battle damage to me if it involves one of my fairy-type monsters. Better still, its presence on the field lets me activate the Agent of Judgment's special ability; if my lifepoints are higher than yours, I can sacrifice this monster, and then you take damage equal to the difference between our lifepoints!"

Yugi cried out as he was engulfed in the resulting explosion.

200/5400

Hikaru frowned. "I'm sorry, but you forced me to take extreme measures. Luckily for you, activating its effect means I can't attack this turn. However, I play Mischief of the Time Goddess, which lets me advance the duel to my next Main Phase 1. And now, I summon Agent of Force – Mars (0/0)! While this card looks weak, it has a special ability as long as Sanctuary in the sky is in play. If my lifepoints are higher, its attack and defense points become equal to the difference in our lifepoints! And if you lost count, that's 5200."

I trembled slightly. "Oh no! Yugi's going to lose!"

"Agent of Force, I command you to destroy his Buster Blader and the remainder of Yugi's lifepoints!"

0/5400

My head started spinning as soon as Yugi's last point disappeared. I felt myself falling; all around me was an infinite white void. Slowly, it started to fall apart, as if the world around me was a giant jigsaw puzzle.

And in the end, I was standing in a lush meadow. I was on a hill overlooking a valley, were the wind gently swept over the grass. Also on the hill was an apple tree, where Loki sat in a half-asleep state.

"Hey, Shizuka," he said. "Please come here." I obediently walked over, sitting by his side. "I want to thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

He chuckled slightly. "You know what, you tease. I thought you were as weak as a kitten, but you destroyed all darkness in the world and united all mankind! You've won the title of Selkirk Rex." He then leaned on one knee. "And you won my heart."

I blushed. "Loki…"

"Please, say I'm yours! This world is perfect, but by saying you'll be my lady will make it better still!" Slowly, I drifted back to reality. I came to believe it wasn't just a hallucination; it was a vision of the future that would come to pass if I joined the Society of Light.

"That was an excellent duel, Yugi," said Hikaru. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time. And as promised, you're free to go."

"But…but I don't want to," said Yugi. "I want to stay! I want to join the Society of Light!"

"Me too," Téa and I said together.

Hikaru smiled warmly. "I'm happy to hear this. I will gladly invite you all: Yugi, messenger of Selaphiel; Shizuka, messenger of Barachiel; and Téa, messenger of Jegudiel."

I never would've believed I'd be part of a scheme to make the world a better place. I only hoped Loki wouldn't be as shortsighted as I was before I saw my vision.

End Chapter

Oh no! Yugi, Téa, and Shizuka have all been tricked into joining the Society of Light! Loki's not going to be happy when he finds out.


	3. Enemies on Both Sides!

**Loki's Eyes**

Why did I always give in to Lynch? Here I was on a train to Romania, completely ignorant of what I was getting into upon my arrival, over a thousand miles away from Shizuka. I promised myself I'd knock Lynch's teeth out if it turned out to be a joke.

Then again, perhaps spending some time away from Shizuka will clear my head, letting me focus on what was really bothering me. "Here I go again; I'm thinking about her in a disturbingly good way. Stupid puberty is making me stupid, causing me to act in a stupid way. …I even sound stupid!"

I wasn't all that worried about people hearing me, since Lynch sprang for my own personal cabin in the train. It was very lovely; a mini-fridge, a bed, and my own bathroom. Coupled with the fact it wasn't a rusty old shack, it was already better than Lynch's house.

I tried to reflect on how much better this place was than Lynch's place was to distract me from Shizuka, but I failed the second I noticed the lock on the door. _"Hmm…I know _one_ way to rid myself of these impure urges. There's still a lot of time before I get to Zalau, and no one would disturb me…"_

"NO!" I shrieked. "Loki, you're thinking like a dirty little boy who just hit puberty. You're past this stage; I know you are!"

I went to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. _"Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. I spent most of my life in the mountains, and I went through most of my puberty when I traveled with the Ghouls. I never even really knew a girl until I met Shizuka. Maybe all my dormant sexual urges are just now coming out."_

I decided my best bet was to figure out a solution after I saved the world. One way or another, I vowed to make the situation between Shizuka and I work.

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

It was about seven that night when I arrived in Zalau (nine that night, in Japan time). By that time, I was the only one standing in the terminal, save for a woman in a trench coat, holding a sign with my name on it. It wasn't very inconspicuous, but it's hard to be that way in a crowd of two.

I walked over to the woman. "Heretics and angels are among us," I said.

She raised her eyebrow. "I've seen no angels lately."

"Soon, you won't see many heretics."

She put her sign away. "You may call me Gretchen Adkins. Welcome to Transylvania. I trust your ride was pleasant, Mr. Admin?"

"It was well enough, thanks. But I though that Lynch said I was in Romania."

"You are. However, Transylvania is a province that takes up a large portion of Romania," she explained.

"Geography was never my strong suit." I looked around the desolate terminal. "Where is everybody?"

"Everybody's afraid. There's a dark force at work here."

I closed my eyes and focused. "…Yes, I feel it. It's all around me, trying to consume my being. And yet…there's a ray of light as well, but not one that comforts me." I opened my eyes. "While it may be stronger than the darkness, there's something sinister about it."

"Slow down," she said. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Follow me, and I'll explain the situation to you." After a short walk, she led me to a car. "Please, get in."

"But daddy told me not to accept rides from strangers," I joked. Nevertheless, I climbed in. Once she climbed in and closed the door, we rode off into the night.

"Long ago, there was an Arabian sorcerer who wished for eternal life," she said. "Unable to find the solution on his own, he created a poweful monster called a Card Guardian. It was known as Kuhates. This one would grant a wish and disappear if it was defeated in a Shadow Game. However, if somebody lost a duel against him, the loser would be turned into a card. Worse still, Kuhates had a physical form, and could do anything he wished until he was defeated."

"What happened to the sorcerer?" I asked.

She smiled sadly. "He was the first to lose the Shadow Game. It's said that the monster card known as the Old Vindictive Magician (450/600) was created in his image."

"So what does this have to do with the here-and-now?"

"I'm getting to that. Are you aware of the story of Count Dracula?" she asked me. "I mean the real one."

I didn't like where this was going. "Yes. Vladimir Dracul Tepes III, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler. He was a sadistic bastard who loved watching people die through impalement. He killed over 40,000 people, if memory serves. The Dracul in his name is a reference to the Order of the Dragons."

"You know your history," she said, not masking her surprise. "During his rule, he built up a lot of dark energy; enough to perform the ritual that would bring forth Kuhates. But because he didn't know of the ritual, the darkness died along with him. It remains trapped in his…well, remains. But a professor by the name of Nigel Garza knows full well of the legend. He's come to Transylvania, as he believes Dracula was buried here. Intelligence reports that he intends to perform the ritual to summon Kuhates, using the darkness within Dracula's remains as a medium."

"That explains the darkness blanketing this land," I said. "But what about the light?"

She yawned. "I'll let Master Lynch tell you. I've been on my feet for too long."

"Fair enough," I replied, settling back into my seat. _"This is just perfect. Here I am on a mission to stop an evil force, borne of one of the vilest figures in history, because some idiot professor wants a wish to come true. This is actually _worse_ than Battle City."_

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

We arrived in an abandoned village, in the center of which was a series of military tents. One of them was open, and within was a bunch of people standing over a table with a map, discussing something I couldn't quite hear. In the center of that commotion was Lynch himself. Even though it was only three days since I saw him last, he looked like he aged a year.

He saw me when Ms. Adkins and I came within thirty feet. He left the powwow and ran over to me. "Loki, you made it! …Where's Shizuka?"

"She's back in Azamawa," I answered. "I considered it to dangerous for someone of her skill level."

"ARGH!" he shrieked. "You were supposed to bring her!"

"But you didn't tell me to bring her!" I protested. "What's the problem, anyway?"

"It's a given that you're supposed to bring her! A GIVEN! How is she going to get any real world experience if you're sheltering her?"

"Good question, but here's another: how was I to explain to Shizuka's mother that I wanted to take her daughter to Transylvania to fight evil?"

"…I guess it was easier for me; since I was your legal guardian, I didn't have to justify my actions to anyone."

"Aren't you _still_ my legal guardian? I'm only sixteen."

"Well, uh…HEY! The point that I was trying to get to is that by not bringing Shizuka, you've exposed her to a completely different danger."

I felt a chill pierce my being. "I…I did what?"

"I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. "I've been too hard on you just now. Let's calm down and take it one step at a time. Follow."

I nodded in agreement. I knew for a fact that if Shizuka was indeed in danger, panicking wouldn't help her at all. With a final cleansing breath, I let Lynch lead me to a private tent.

"This is a story that goes back about ten years," Lynch began once we sat down. "That's roughly six years after Pegasus J. Crawford invented Duel Monsters. Several mysterious deaths were found, that seemed to be related to duels."

"Shadow Games," I muttered.

"Exactly. The deaths were never publicized, as Crawford paid the families generous sums of money to keep their mouths shut. He feared the bad publicity would haunt him, you see."

"Understandable."

"But the deaths were still investigated, albeit on the low-key. Since then, the Japanese government funded an agency solely devoted to the research of the Shadow Games. It was never made public like the FBI, because they didn't want the public to know about the existence of magic. The agency, known as the Elite Duelist League, consists of scholars in Egyptology and cosmology, as well as an elite team of duelists."

"And you're one of those elite duelists," I guessed.

"That's right. They snatched me up the second I won the European Championship. You may recall the times I left you with a babysitter; I was off saving the world…or on a date."

I crossed my arms. "You had a girlfriend? That's slightly less believable than the rest of your story."

"…Moving right along, let's discuss the danger that Shizuka might be in. The light presence that you've probably felt belongs to the Society of Light. They're a group of duelists devoted to extinguishing all darkness in this world. We know that they kidnap duelists and brainwash them into joining, but we've recently determined that each duelist they've targeted had a kind nature."

"But it doesn't necessarily mean they want Shizuka," I argued. "It's true that she's a kind-hearted duelist, but she barely has any experience."

"That doesn't really matter. After close study, we discovered that their skills increase tenfold after joining. However it happens, we have to stop them. If they succeed in destroying the darkness, the world will wither and die. It's the yin-yang theory; light cannot exist without darkness."

"So, we're fighting the forces of light and darkness." I got off my chair and gazed out the tent. The rain slowly started to fall. "Let's consider that what you're saying is true, and they've suddenly got Shizuka in their clutches. I can tell you for a fact that if she realizes the severe repercussions that'll occur with the Brotherhood's plans, she'll never join them. So…if that's the case, what'll happen to her?"

"I don't know; nobody's ever resisted the brainwashing attempts of the Society of Light."

I turned around. "Where are they?"

He frowned. "I can't say. We only have one lead; a boy named Taro, who works for the Society of Light, is locked up in one of the tents. He refuses to tell us where he they are unless we agree to join, and he knows that we're lying when we say we want to."

I thought for a while. "…I have an idea, but you have to agree with it before I tell you what it is."

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

I could barely contain my excitement as I examined my new deck; my first deck! I was generously given a huge selection of cards to choose from; many of which were rare. I bet if Loki was here, he'd have been proud.

My enthusiasm faded. "Loki…"

"What about Loki?" I turned and saw Yugi in his new clothes; they looked like his usual garb, except completely white. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just disappointed. Since he trained me, it seems inappropriate that he isn't here to see me build my first good deck."

"But you'll give him a better show soon, won't you?" When he saw I didn't understand he explained, "Master Hikaru has given you the assignment of showing Loki the light if he refuses to join willingly. And I think you know him well enough to know how stubborn he is."

"Yeah," I said with a smile. But my smile was deceptive; if anything, I was even more worried. Even with the knowledge of Hikaru within me, I wasn't sure if I was experienced enough to take on Loki.

"Oh, I forgot!" Yugi said suddenly. "Master Hikaru also wanted you to join him in the throne room. He thought you might want to see Loki duel."

That caught me by surprise. "Loki's here already?" He simply gave me a playful wink and left. With that, I ran as fast as I could to the throne room.

Just so you know, the castle we were in was in village of Bologa. It was out of use for a long time, until Hikaru renovated it, transforming it into Castle Sanctum. As soon as he settled, he made everyone in the village see the light. They were the first, and they certainly wouldn't be last.

When I arrived, Hikaru had his back to me, looking at a crystal ball that was about four feet in diameter. Without turning, he motioned for me to stand next to him. As I walked over, I was surprised to see Loki walking around in his ball. "It seems your Sensei is hatching a plan to visit us," he said.

I leaned forward to listen and to get a better look. I watched as Loki entered a tent, where he started talking to a man imprisoned in a cage. "You're from the Society of Light?" he asked.

"I am Taro, messenger of Raphael," he answered. "I'll tell you what I told your friends; I won't reveal the location of our stronghold unless you agree to join me."

Loki grinned as he pulled out a knife. "Who said I was friends with those shortsighted fools?" With that, he broke the lock by shoving the knife into the keyhole and twisting. "I want to join you. I know my aura may not be luminous enough to attract your attention, but I believe I can help your cause."

"Is that so? …Very well. Follow me, and I'll lead you to Castle Sanctum."

Hikaru started laughing. "As skilled as your Sensei is, he's too trusting for his own good. Taro can obviously sense the deception, and will lead him the wrong way."

"But I thought we wanted to add Loki to our cause," I argued.

"We do, my dear. However, he won't willingly join until he's defeated in duel. Just continue to watch."

After watching the pair of them sneak out of the camp and walk in the forest for ten minutes, Loki said, "You can drop the act now."

Taro turned in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't insult my intelligence. I know for a fact you're not really leading me to your stronghold. I could sense your intent the second I freed you."

Hikaru rubbed his chin. "This is interesting. Perhaps I was wrong about Loki."

Taro stepped backwards from Loki. "I guess there's no more profit to be made by denying it. Let's duel, and if I win, you join us for real! But in the unlikely event I lose, I'll tell you where to find Castle Sanctum."

"I accept," said Loki as he activated his Duel Disk. "But I imagine it's going to be hard for you to duel without a Duel Disk."

"Oh ye of little faith," he said as he pulled out his deck.

Loki looked on in surprise as five images of cards projected in front of Taro. "That's a nice little magic trick, but it'll take more than magic to take me down. Let's duel!"

4000/4000

"I'll start things off with one facedown card and Newdoria (1200/800) in attack mode. Your turn."

Another card image appeared in front of Taro. "So, you'd ruin the beauty of this world by placing fiends on it? I'll set one card and summon Neo the Magic Swordsman (1700/1000)!" Then the two cards he mentioned appeared before him, as if projected by a Duel Disk. "Neo, strike down his monster!"

"I activate my facedown card, Dimension Wall! It makes you take the battle damage I would've taken." His monster was gone, as well as several of Taro's lifepoints.

4000/3500

"And now the effect of Newdoria kicks in, which lets me destroy Neo the Magic Swordsman!"

I gave a sad smile. "That's Loki for you. He almost always draws first blood in his duels, even against Yugi."

"No matter," said Hikaru. "Early leads are irrelevant when the end result is Loki's defeat."

Taro smirked. "That wasn't bad, but I won't fall so easily."

"Perhaps not," said Loki as he drew. "But you have nothing to defend yourself, save for a facedown card. And I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, letting me destroy it!" Once it was gone he declared, "Now, I summon Mataza the Zapper (1300/800)! I attack directly!"

4000/2200

"And it doesn't end there, because Mataza can attack twice per turn. Like a bolt of lightning, I strike again!"

4000/900

As Taro recoiled from the impact he asked, "'Like a bolt of lightning', Loki? What's with the cheesy simile?"

Loki gave a shrug, slightly embarrassed. "I was just experimenting. Think nothing of it."

I giggled. "Loki can be so silly sometimes."

"Anyway, I'll set one card and end my turn."

A smile grew on Taro's face as he drew. "Yes. This is just the card I need to take you down. I activate the field spell, Excalibur Shrine!" As he spoke, the world around them transformed; the grass beneath them became a stone-paved road, four walls appeared around them, and a stone pedestal with a glowing sword stuck in it appeared next to Taro.

Loki looked around. "I've never heard of this card. What does it do?"

"I'm so glad you asked. By activating this card, I get to automatically bring forth the monster known as Camelot King (1000/1000)! This monster can attack every monster of your side of the field, and is completely unaffected by all card effects except for Shrine of Excalibur. However, it's automatically destroyed when Shrine of Excalibur goes."

"Yes?" prompted Loki.

"Shrine of Excalibur has a few other effects. Firstly, it gives one monster on my field attack points equal to the lifepoints I've lost. I've lost 3100 so far, so Camelot King now has 4100 attack points. Plus, whenever I choose not to attack, I get to destroy one card on your field automatically."

Loki growled. "That Shrine of Excalibur is completely unfair! There has to be some drawback!"

"There is. As long as Camelot King is on the field, I can't play any more monsters. I end my turn without attacking." A beam of light shot from the sword in the pedestal and destroyed Loki's facedown card. "Heh. That was Magic Cylinder, wasn't it? I suppose it's a good thing I decided not to attack."

After Loki drew he said, "I guess I'll switch Mataza to defense mode, and play another defensive monster. That's all for now."

"A wasted effort," said Taro. "I already told you: Camelot King can attack every monster on your field. But before I demonstrate, I'll activate Stop Defense! It lets me switch your Mataza back to attack mode. Camelot King, attack with celestial blade!"

1200/900

Loki was knocked off his feet with the impact. "What the hell? That actually hurt!"

Taro chuckled. "Indeed. See, while you're battling with holo-imaging technology, I'm using magic to project my cards. I think you'll find that a loss of any kind will prove to be quite painful. Surrender, and I can relieve you of the pain."

"Not a chance," Loki said as he climbed to his feet. "There's still plenty for me to do. Or haven't you realized that I still have a monster on the field?"

"Not for long, you don't. Now, I'll destroy your remaining monster!" However, the attack simply bounced off as the card was flipped up. "What have you done?"

"Meet the latest addition to my deck: Spirit Reaper (300/200)! My new friend can't be destroyed with an attack."

I nervously massaged my hands. "I thought that I memorized Loki's cards, but he's been improving behind my back."

"I thought he might," said Hikaru. "If a teacher doesn't grow along with his pupil, his teachings will go in circles."

"And now for my turn," said Loki. "I'll activate Graceful Charity, drawing three and discarding two. Then I'll set another monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"So, your monster can't be destroyed in battle, huh?" asked Taro. "That's fine with me, because I invoke the power of Shrine of Excalibur; I choose not to attack this turn, meaning I can automatically wipe out your Spirit Reaper! I end my turn."

"Good, because it's about time I ended this duel. I flip my facedown monster, Magician of Faith (300/400), letting me bring a spell from my graveyard to my hand. I choose Mystical Space Typhoon, which I use on your Shrine of Excalibur! And because it goes away, so too does your Camelot King!"

"Loki did it again!" I exclaimed. "I can't wait until he starts teaching me again; I can learn a lot."

"This can't be!" exclaimed Taro.

"Apparently it can," stated Loki. "I summon Chthonian Soldier (1200/1400) and finish you off with a direct attack!"

1200/0

As the card images disappeared he said, "But don't feel too bad. If it's any consolation, you're the first decent challenge I've had since Battle City. Of course, you still have to fulfill your end of the bargain."

Hikaru grinned. "It's time I stepped in." He disappeared in a flash of light, and reappeared in front of Taro, facing Loki.

Taro stumbled back in surprise. "M-master Hikaru! It's an honor to see you!"

Hikaru ignored him. "Hello, Loki Admin."

Loki adopted a defensive posture. "You're another one of the Society of Light guys?"

"I _am_ the Society of Light," he corrected. "I am Hikaru, messenger of Michael. I created the society."

"Then I guess I can get my answer straight from the horse's mouth. Answer me now, Hikaru; did you kidnap a girl named Shizuka Wheeler?"

"Not personally, but I gave the order."

"DAMN YOU!" he snapped. "If you hurt her, I swear you're going to regret it!"

I was truly touched by Loki's concern. "I wouldn't dream of hurting her," said Hikaru. "In fact, she's watching us right now." He looked right at me. "Go ahead, Shizuka. Just speak, and he'll hear you."

"Um…hi, Loki-Sensei," I said, not prepared to speak.

Loki looked up into the sky, looking for me. "Shizuka? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

He gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Hang tight, Shizuka. I'm coming to save you."

"That's sweet of you. However, I actually don't need to be saved. It's true that they've initially taken me against my will, but I'm glad they made me a part of their order." Loki stood in dumb silence. "Loki?"

"…You joined them? Why? Don't you realize what'll happen?"

"Of course I do! Once all darkness is destroyed, everyone will live in peace!"

"Is that before or after this world crumbles? Light can't exist without darkness. Once one of them goes, the world will just become an empty void. World peace is a good idealism, but I'm afraid you can't have your cake and eat it too."

Of course I expected him to resist what he didn't understand, but I didn't expect for him to make such a compelling argument. A nasty thought entered my head. _"Am I on the wrong side?" _I shook my head, as if the thought would fall out. _"No! Light is good and dark is bad! It's not a hard concept!"_

"Your theory of Yin-Yang is compelling," admitted Hikaru. "But it's not an argument I haven't heard before. I refer you to the tale of Pandora's Box." Loki relaxed his guard. "The world existed just fine before Pandora accidentally unleashed darkness unto the world. Thus, by ridding the world of darkness, the world will not suffer."

Loki thought about his reply for a second. "…That's an interesting counterargument, as good as mine, if not better."

"Thank you."

"Clearly, we're both reasonable enough to accept each other's criticisms, but too set in beliefs to bend to them. So, as one reasonable man to another, I'd like to propose a deal."

"I'm all ears."

"I have no personal quarrel with the Celestial Brotherhood, apart from the fact you have Shizuka. My deal is this: release Shizuka and leave my friends alone, and I promise I'll leave you alone."

"I'm moved by your passive nature," said Hikaru. "Contrary to your dark aura, you do seem quite reasonable. However, I'm afraid I simply can't agree to your request. As Shizuka told you, I'm not holding her against her will. Therefore, let me propose a counteroffer. Come to my castle and defeat me in a duel. However, you have to duel against all of the Messengers you meet. You can even bring as many duelist friends as you want to help you. If you beat me, I'll tell Shizuka to leave, as well as anyone else you want. But if you lose-"

"I know," he interrupted. "I have to join you. Since you hold all the cards, I guess I'll agree to your terms."

"Splendid." Suddenly, a crystal with a string attached materialized in Hikaru's hand. "It's called dowsing. Simply hold the string, and the crystal will lead you to my castle."

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

As soon as he handed me the pendulum, he vanished, leaving me alone with my thoughts. _"I never thought we'd be on opposite sides, Shizuka. …Fine. I see how it is. You've actually done me a favor: I no longer have any difficulties with how to deal with my situation."_

At least, that's what I told myself. If anything, I was more confused than ever. She was my student, my friend, my first crush, and she was under the influence of a madman. Thus, I had three reasons to save her. There was no maybe about it; I _was_ going to save her.

I ran as fast as I could through the forest, over streams and past decaying trees. I sensed several dark energies as I ran, but I ignored them. I knew the Nigel Garza problem had to be dealt with, but I had greater concerns at the moment. _"Let those fools from the EDL sort it out themselves. It was Lynch's fault we got involved, anyway."_

My search eventually led me to the village of Bologa. The darkness was all around me now, but was greatly diluted by the light that came from the villagers, all of whom wore white robes. But the biggest concentration of light energy came from the castle at the edge of the town. It was a no-brainer; Hikaru was definitely in that castle, and so were other presences.

To my surprise, the pendulum went dead. I tapped the crystal to see if it would respond, but it just hung there like a tangled yoyo. _"I guess Hikaru respects my intelligence enough to know I can take it from here."_ I threw the pendulum to the ground; it was useless to me now. I pulled out my cell phone and called Lynch. "How about a game of hide and seek? I found the stronghold of the Society of Light. I'm going to take them all on. If you want in on the fun, you'd better trace this call before I hang up."

"Hey, wait a min-!" I disconnected him before he finished. A little tease was more than enough to get Lynch to plow through anything in his path to find me. As much as I hated him for involving Shizuka in this, I recognized his power as a duelist. I knew if – in a freak accident – I lost a duel, he'd be the one to pick up the slack.

With that out of the way, I ran full speed to the castle. If there was one trait that I picked up from Lynch, I'd also plow through anything that got in my way.

End Chapter


	4. Formerly Friends

**Loki's Eyes**

I regretted running all the way. As soon as I reached the courtyard, I keeled over and hacked up blood again. _"Shizuka, you're killing me. Seriously! And yet, I still think I love you. Lynch was right: love makes you do stupid things."_ I wiped my mouth with my red shirt and stood up.

It was a nice castle, but I was by no means even remotely interested in architecture at the moment. I strode through the courtyard, and furiously banged on the main door when I reached it. "I'm here, Hikaru! Let me in so I can destroy you, please!" To my surprise, a letter fluttered down and landed at my feet. I picked it up and read:

_Dear Loki,  
Your arrival came sooner than I expected. I'm busy tidying up, so I'll ask you to wait outside for fifteen more minutes. In the meantime, how about you find the secret passage I made for you? By the time you get through it, I should be ready. And try not to ruin your cards, as that would ruin my fun.  
Yours truly,  
Hikaru, Messenger of Michael_

"_I'm not even remotely amused,"_ I angrily thought. Still, with no other alternative, I decided to look for the aforementioned passage. I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or pulling my leg, but if there was a passage, I knew exactly where it would be. After all, he left an obvious clue: there was a risk my cards would get ruined.

I exited the courtyard and examined the moat. It was only waist-deep, and I could tell it was rebuilt recently. With an angry groan, I threw off my coat and jumped in, careful to hold my Duel Disk above my head so it wouldn't get wet. I followed the soggy path to the right, where it led to a small, dark corridor that led into the castle. There were a few bars, but most of them were cut through, as if prepared especially for me.

"_Of course, there's no 'as if' about it. Just who exactly is this Hikaru? Does he really want Shizuka, or is he really after me? If he _does_ want Shizuka, then why is he giving me a chance to rescue her?"_

I shook my head, ignoring my thoughts. Whatever the case was, it wouldn't help me with my situation. Abandoning all thought, I wadded into the darkness. Unable to see my watch, I lost track of time as I slogged through the passage. I guess it was about five minutes before I found a ladder.

I looked up to see where it led; not that I cared, as long it led to a towel. There was a small, semi-open hatch about twenty feet above me. I really hoped I didn't get my pants wet, and nearly freezing my naggers off in the icy water, simply to end up on the other side of the castle.

With no clear alternative, I climbed up. It was then that I fully realized how wet my pants were, when I felt water flow from my pants like a waterfall. It felt as if I held a bunch of water balloons in my cargo pockets. Once all the excess water was drained, I continued my vertical trek. Once I reached the top and pushed the cover off, a girl in all-white was there, offering me her hand.

"It's great to see you again," said Téa. "Need a hand?"

"TÉA?" After I allowed her to pull me up I said, "Please, tell me it isn't true. Tell me you haven't fallen under Hikaru's spell."

"It's not a spell," she said. "I've seen the light. And so have Yugi and Shizuka."

That sent a horrible chill through my very being. "No…not Yugi too!" I staggered back until I was able to lean against the wall. "This is a nightmare! My friends…they're all…" Then I collapsed and hacked up blood again.

Téa walked over and knelt next to me. "This is the third time I've seen that happen to you. You really should see a doctor about that," she suggested.

"That won't help. I've been to thirty doctors, and they were all useless." Téa helped me to my feet. "How could you join Hikaru? Don't you-"

"Shh," she said, putting her finger on my lips. "I'm sure you'll want to change out of those wet clothes. Follow me."

I found myself unable to resist her; I was simply too shaken to refuse_. "Yugi…how could you join them? That would mean…you lost a duel. If a duelist holding the three Egyptian God Cards couldn't defeat Hikaru, can I?"_

She led me to a room. It was completely white, like everything and everyone else. "You'll find some clothes in the drawer over there," she said, pointing to a corner of the room. "In five minutes, Master Hikaru will meet you."

"I'm confused," I said as I stepped into the room. "Am I his guest, or his prisoner?" With little more than a playful wink, she walked out, closing the door behind her. I heard a slight click from the door; I didn't need to test it to determine it was locked. "This is a fine mess I'm in."

I went over to the drawer. As she said, there was indeed a fresh change of clothes. Like Téa's outfit, they were completely white, save for a few powder-blue seams. I was hesitant to put them on, but figured that it was better than dueling in soggy clothes. Hoping that Shizuka wasn't watching me like she was earlier, I quickly changed into my clothes. I was a little disturbed at how well they fit. Naturally, I still wore the Rose pendant I received from Lynch, as proof that I defeated him.

As Téa promised, there was a knock at my door after five minutes. "Come in," I said. Of course, if it was really Hikaru, I knew he really didn't need permission. As it turned out, it was. "You."

"Hello again, Loki. I trust you find your new clothes comfortable." I could tell that wasn't a question.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," I replied, putting my Duel Disk back on. "I shudder to ask, but how did you know my measurements?"

"Why, I spied on you, of course. I've had my eye on you for a while."

"I thought so."

He raised his eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"It occurred to me that when you kidnapped Shizuka, you weren't simply interested in her. So, it is me you're after?"

"I know of your power, dark as it is. While Shizuka is useful as a duelist, it also ensures that you'll comply with my wishes. And I wish to test your skills."

"Right now?" I asked, hopefully.

"Not yet. Soon, your former master will arrive. I wish for him to try and fight his way to the top of my tower, just like you. If he defeats one of my Messengers, he too will be worthy to join the game."

"What do you get out of all of this?" I insisted. "Don't you realize that while you're playing this game, Nigel Garza will resurrect a horrible, evil force?"

"Of course I know. That's the whole reason I set our headquarters here. For you see, the more people I add to my cause, the more my powers grow. Once I have enough energy, I'll be able to unleash a shockwave that'll destroy all traces of dark energy. In the meantime, the power I gather casts a light that scatters the darkness."

"I'll never join your cause."

"Never say never," he warned. "Well, that's enough small talk. Your friend will be here in a few minutes, but how about we get this game underway?"

"Gladly," I said. With a wave of his hand, I was transported to another part of the castle. I recognized the door behind me as he one that was locked when I first arrived. Apart from the entrance, there were two other doors. One of them glowed, and I took that as an invitation.

I walked over, and the door automatically slid to the sides. Almost the instant I walked to the other side, the entrance opened. "Loki!" I heard someone yell.

I spun around in surprise. "Lynch?" Before I could react, the door slammed shut behind me. I banged on it several times. "It looks like I'm sealed in here."

"Never mind," said Lynch. "The other door is beckoning me. I guess the plan is to eventually meet up in the end. I'll race you!"

"You're on," I said, letting my competitive spirit take over.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"White doesn't suit you. Remember that."

I knew that was another way of saying that he didn't want me to join the Society of Light. "Likewise," I answered. With that, I broke into a run down the corridor.

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

About thirty seconds into my run, I met up with Téa. "I don't suppose you're back on my side," I guessed.

"We're friends, aren't we?" she asked. "I'm always on your side. I just happen to have an obligation with the Society of Light. I'm here to convert you."

"You can try. The only advantage you have, however, is that you know my deck better than I know yours. Even still, though I've never seen yours, I can take it down anyway."

"We'll see about that. I'm no longer just Téa Gardner; I'm Téa, messenger of Jegudiel! It's time to duel!"

4000/4000

The card images appeared before her, as they did with Taro. _"So, all of Hikaru's pets have that ability. I suppose I'd better be careful; Joey once told me that Téa beat him all the time, before Duelist Kingdom."_ "After you, Téa."

"Too kind," she said as she drew. "I'll start with the Upstart Goblin! It lets me draw a card, and gives you 1000 lifepoints. Aren't I sweet?"

5000/4000

"Extremely," I answered. "That's why it broke my heart when I discovered you're on the wrong side."

"Don't feel too bad. I'm happier here, and stronger too. And when I beat you, you'll be the same. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll set one card facedown, and a monster in defense mode. Your move."

"In that case, I bring forth Archfiend Soldier (1900/1500)! And now, I attack your defensive monster!"

"I don't think so. I play Waboku, which will reduce any damage to my monster to zero. However, your attack flipped my Magician of Faith (300/400) which lets me bring a spell back to my hand, and I choose Upstart Goblin!"

"In that case, I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Ok. Now, I play the spell card, Reasoning! Here's how it works; you choose a monster level, and I start picking up cards until I reach a monster that can be summoned. If the level you chose is equal to the level of the card, I have to discard it. But if not, I get to special summon it! In either case, I discard all the other cards I picked up."

"Risky. Well, I choose level 4."

After she picked up three cards she said, "Oops, too bad. My monster is level 3! I bring forth the Petit Angel (900/600)! And now, I sacrifice my monsters to summon Vanity's Ruler (2500/1600)! Then, I equip him with Megamorph!"

I flinched. _"So that's why she increased my lifepoints! Since my lifepoints are higher than hers, her monster's attack strength is doubled!"_

"I attack your Archfiend!"

1900/4000

The shockwave knocked me to the ground. "Ow…that was a very impressive move, Téa. I didn't see that coming."

"Thanks," she said. "I don't want to hurt you, but I'll do what I have to do to convert you. As your friend, I can't simply let you walk around with an empty head, like…"

"Like Tristan?" I joked.

She giggled. "Now, I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Good, because it's time I took control of this duel. Now that your lifepoints are higher than mine, your Megamorph cuts your monster's original strength in half! And that's why I summon Maha Vailo (1550/1400), and equip him with Axe of Despair! Destroy her monster with sacred lightning!"

1900/2200

"That's all from me. Now, show me what you got!" I frowned when I noticed she started smiling. "What's on your mind, Téa?"

"I was generous enough to give you lifepoints, and I don't even get a 'thank you'. If you're going to treat me like that, I'll take them back! And I'll do it with the help of my trap card, Bad Reaction to Simochi! From now on, any effects that increase your lifepoints will damage them instead."

"How vindictive of you. But it's not as though I have many effects that will increase my lifepoints. Unless…"

"That's right. I'll start my turn by activating Upstart Goblin! And while that would normally mean you gain 1000 lifepoints, Bad Reaction to Simochi means you lose it instead."

"Hold that thought!" I snapped. "I play Barrel Behind the Door, making you take the damage instead!"

1900/1200

"Not bad. Now, I play Card of Sanctity, requiring us both to draw until we each hold six cards. And since I drew Watapon (200/300) with that effect, I get to special summon it automatically! Then I play the spell called Rain of Mercy! It increases both of our lifepoints by 1000!"

900/2200

"Then I'll set a card, and one monster. That's it."

"_It's true,"_ I thought. _"Hikaru's control actually makes a duelist stronger. I hope Lynch isn't in any trouble."_

"Are you ok?" asked Téa. "You were in your own little world for a second."

"Sorry. Back to the duel! I summon Amazoness Swordswoman (1500/1600)!"

"I activate my facedown card, Solemn Wishes! Each time I draw, I gain 500 lifepoints."

"What good is that if you lose it faster than you gain it? I'll use my new monster to wipe out your Watapon!" Once it was gone I said, "Next up, I attack your facedown monster with Maha Vailo!"

"My monster's called the Nimble Momonga (1000/100), and when it's destroyed in battle, I gain 1000 lifepoints! Plus, I get to summon up to two other Nimble Momonga cards in defense mode."

900/3200

I sighed. "I guess the ball's in your court now."

"I draw, and I gain 500 from my trap!"

900/3700

"Next, I play Dancing Fairy (1700/1000) in defense mode! And in case you're wondering, when it's in defense mode during my standby phase, I gain 1000 lifepoints. Next, I equip it with Ring of Magnetism! It lowers my monster's attack and defense points by 500, but now it's the only monster you can attack."

"Why would you do that?" I asked. "I was going to attack it anyway."

"Yes, but thanks to my next card, attacking is the only thing you can do. I equip my monster with A Heart of Clear Water! Now, it can't be destroyed in battle."

"_Clever girl," _I thought. _"She couldn't activate that card unless her monster's attack points were above 1300, so she lowered it with Ring of Magnetism."_

"And now," she said, "I'll switch my Nimble Momonga monsters to attack mode, and attack your Amazoness Swordswoman with the first one!"

"What are you doing? Your monster can't beat mine."

"I'm counting on it. I may lose 500 lifepoints, but its effect gives me 1000 more!" As expected, my monster crushed hers.

900/4200

"And next, I attack with the second one!"

900/4700

"And next, I play Last Will! Since one of my monsters was destroyed this turn, I get to special summon a monster in my deck with 1500 attack points or less, and I choose Spirit of the Breeze (0/1800) in attack mode. And when it's in attack mode during my standby phase, I gain 1000 lifepoints!"

"You gotta be kidding!" I exclaimed. "Altogether, that means you gain 2500 lifepoints simply by starting your turn."

"That's right. How can you defeat me when I can recover from any wound I receive?"

"We'll find out soon." I stared at my deck for a second before drawing. _"I can probably win this in the next turn if I draw Lightning Vortex right now. Come on, deck; pull through for me."_ I drew. "Huh! Then again, this card is useful as well."

"What?" asked Téa.

"I'll show you. I equip my Maha Vailo with Big Bang Shot! Apart from increasing my monster's points, it also lets me trample your monsters, even if it doesn't destroy them. Maha Vailo, attack the Dancing Fairy!"

900/750

"Then I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Nice move," said Téa. "But it's not over yet!"

900/3250

"Now, I'll switch my Dancing Fairy to attack mode, and play Riryoku! I'll drain your Maha Vailo of half his attack points, and add those points to Dancing Fairy! Now, I'll destroy your monster with Dancing Fairy!"

"Maybe, but my Hallowed Life Barrier means I'll lose no lifepoints, and all I have to do is discard a card in return."

"Fine. I end my turn."

"_Here's my chance. If I can throw everything at her before she replenishes her lifepoints, I can win!"_ I drew. "Perfect! This card will ensure your destruction!"

"What card is that?"

"It's my Heavy Storm, which blows all spells and traps on the field to the graveyard! Then I summon Berserk Gorilla (2000/1000) Next I play Double Spell, discarding a spell in my hand to play a spell in your graveyard, and I choose Megamorph, equipping it to Amazoness Swordswoman!"

"No way!" exclaimed Téa.

"Yes, way," I shot back. "Gorilla, wipe out Dancing Fairy!"

900/2950

"Now, let's do the math, shall we? The only card you have on the field is Spirit of the Breeze, which is in attack mode with zero points. I have a monster with 3000 attack points. Now, how much damage will you take when my monster strikes?"

"…Too much," she groaned, sinking to her knees.

"Give the lady a crown; and not in a good way. Swordswoman, finish off Téa's monster and the rest of her lifepoints!"

900/0

I breathed heavily as the holograms disappeared. I felt myself begin to gag again, but I was able to keep myself from vomiting again. "That was a great match, Téa. I can see why Joey had such a hard time against you."

She looked up, smiling. "Thanks. That means a lot. Your next challenger is down the hall. If you thought I was tough, you'll find her unstoppable."

"I'll keep that in mind. Do you still believe that the Society of Light is in the right?"

"Yes."

I sighed. "Then I guess I have no alternative; the only way to free your mind is to defeat Hikaru." Once I got my breath back, I ran down the next hall.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

"_He's coming; I can feel it. I really thought Téa could beat him."_ That was a foolish hope at best. He defeated Seto Kaiba with one card, after all. Still, it didn't matter a lot. I couldn't do anything more than my best. _"And even if I don't win, Yugi surely will."_

With that in mind, I could duel with no worries.

When he arrived and saw me, he had an expression and burned into my mind. He was surprised, certainly. He was also very sad; well, I was with an organization that he couldn't fully understand, so it was forgivable. But there was something else mixed in as well.

Disappointment.

I didn't know why he was disappointed. Thanks to Hikaru, I've become the strong duelist Loki said I could be. _"Maybe he's disappointed in himself, because he wasn't the reason I'm so strong. And he was the reason I started dueling in the first place." _"I'm sorry, Loki," I said.

"You don't have to be," he replied. "After all, I'm sorry for you."

"But why? I'm Shizuka, messenger of Barachiel. I'm a being stronger than the one you trained. Why aren't you happy for me?"

"I'm not happy because you lost the Duelist's Spirit."

I tilted my head, confused. "'The Duelist's Spirit'? What's that?"

"It's a force that drives all true duelists, and it's made of three things: faith, respect, and ambition. More specifically, it's faith in your skills, respect for your opponent, and ambition to face stronger opponents. By serving a man in exchange for power, you've lost the faith. Ergo, you've lost the spirit."

"…Could you run that by me one more time?" I asked.

"Very well. Put simply, by relying on Hikaru's power to give you strength, you've forgotten how to rely on your own strength. And that actually makes you weaker."

"I think you're wrong. There's no way I could possibly be weaker than I started. I was the bottom rung before I joined, Loki. Therefore, there's no way to go except up!"

Loki's expression of disappointment became stronger, and it pulled at my heartstrings. I think he almost shed a tear. "Do you really think so little of yourself, Shizuka? And do you think so little of me that I'd bother to train the girl you just described?" He hung his head. "That's…that's just…"

"Loki?"

His head shot up; his eyes were full of fire. "How DARE you insult me?"

I flinched at the sudden ferocity in his voice. "W-what do you mean?"

"When you insult your skills, you insult your teacher. And I don't turn the other cheek to such an insult. I demand satisfaction, Shizuka!" He activated his Duel Disk. "Prepare yourself!"

I recovered from the shock and answered, "Alright. Let's go!"

4000/4000

Tapping into Hikaru's power, I used my light energy to summon the card images before me. "I'll go first. I'll start by setting one card, and summoning Shining Angel (1400/800)! It's your move."

"Alright," he said. "I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer (1800/700)! Then I'll set one card, and attack your Shining Angel!"

3600/4000

"You've triggered my monster's effect," I said. "Now, I get to special summon a light monster from my deck, as long as it had 1500 attack points or less. I choose Hoshiningen (500/700)!"

"I end my turn."

"Alright. My monster's effect increases the attack points of all light monsters by 500, and decreases the attack points of all dark monsters by 400. Do you see the light, Loki?"

"Yes," he admitted. "But I can overlook it."

"Overlook this; I play the field spell, Luminous Spark! As long as it's on the field, the light monsters gain 500 more attack points, but they also lose 400 defense points. And now, I summon Royal Knight (1300/800)! And thanks to Hoshiningen and my field spell, my new monster is stronger than yours. I attack your monster with Royal Knight!"

"I activate Spirit Barrier! That means I won't take any damage from this attack!"

4300/4000

"Wait a minute! Why did your lifepoints increase just now?"

"It's the effect of my Royal Knight," I explained. "Whenever it destroys a monster, I gain lifepoints equal to the defense of the destroyed monster. And now, I'll attack you directly with Hoshiningen!"

4300/2500

He clutched his chest in pain. "Now, I'll set one card and end my turn." As he drew I said, "I activate Solar Ray! For every light monster on my field, you take 600 points of damage!"

4300/1300

He fell down and started vomiting blood. "By the God Cards…" he gasped. After a minute, he climbed to his feet. "You've come far in such a short time, but I'm far from concerned. Using a crutch is a quicker and easier than waiting for your skills to develop, but what happens when the crutch breaks?"

_"He may have a point."_ I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and said, "There's no need to needlessly punish yourself, when you'll simply end up joining us, no matter what you do."

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"If you beat me, you'll face Yugi next. And we both know you can't beat him, since he defeated all three Egyptian God Cards."

"In that case, I must win, so I can face him."

"What?" I asked. "But you can't win against him!"

"Maybe not, but I'll never know for sure unless I face him first."

"_This must be that ambition he was talking about earlier,"_ I realized.

"But first thing's first," he said. "I have to mop the floor with you. And I'll start by summoning Berserk Gorilla (2000/1000)! And I use it to attack your Hoshiningen!"

3800/1300

"And without your monster's boost, your Royal Knight loses 500 attack points. I end my turn."

"Fine with me," I said. "If I lose that boost, I'll simply get myself another. I'll set one card, and equip my Royal Knight with Elf's Light, raising its attack points by 400, though lowering its defense points by 200. I destroy your monster!"

4800/1300

"That's all for me." _"I'm sure by now he realizes the similarities and differences between Téa and me. We both use healing decks, but mine is much more aggressive than hers."_

"Ok, no more Mr. Nice Sensei!" he snapped as he drew. "I call upon Maha Vailo (1550/1400)! And since it's a light monster, it gains power from your field spell. And I equip him with Big Bang Shot, giving him 400 more attack points, plus another 500 from Maha Vailo's effect! I slay your knight!"

4050/1300

"Then I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"Not bad," I admitted. "But now it's time to end this duel! I activate Ring of Destruction, and use it on your monster! Now, we'll each take damage equal to your monster's attack points. That means little to me, but it'll wipe out your remaining lifepoints!"

"I didn't think you'd be crazy enough to use Ring of Destruction so soon, but that doesn't mean I'm unprepared for it," he said. "I play Hollowed Life Barrier, so I'll take no damage this turn!"

1100/1300

"Darn," I snarled. "Still, I'm not done yet. It's my move, and I'll play Card of Sanctity, so we both draw until we each hold six cards. Then I remove two light monsters from my graveyard to bring out Soul of Purity and Light (2000/1800)! Now, I attack and finish you off!"

"Not yet. I activate my trap, A Hero Emerges! Now you must randomly select one card in my hand, and if it's a monster I can normally summon, I get to special summon it. But if it isn't, it's sent to my graveyard." He held his hand to me. "Pick a card; any card."

"_Great. If I choose the right card, I'll win. But if not, he could turn this duel around. That serves me right for playing Card of Sanctity. …Did I purposely screw myself over, or something?"_

"Pick a card," he insisted. "I'm not getting any younger."

"Alright! I choose the card on the far left." He pulled the card out of his hand and showed it to me. "UGH!"

"Good choice; at least, it is for me. Show yourself, Fusilier Dragon (2800/2000)!"

"In that case, I'll end my turn without attacking. Make your move." _"Heh. If he's foolish enough to attack with Fusilier Dragon, he's in for a surprise; my monster's effect decreases his monsters' attack points during his battle phase."_

"I know about your monster's effect," he said, surprising me. "But I can get around that. I'll set one trap, and activate Bait Doll! It'll force the activation of my trap, even though I just set it. And the card is Reverse Trap! It makes all effects that raise points lower them instead, and all effects that lower points raise them! Guess what that means."

I looked in panic at my Luminous Spark. "That means instead of gaining 500, Light monsters lose 500! My monster only has 1500 attack points now!"

"That's right. And thanks to your monster's effect, as well as the effect of my Reverse Trap, my monster's points will be raised by 300 during the battle phase. Fusilier Dragon, finish her off with nitro breath!"

0/1300

I sank to my knees. _"I lost…even with all the power I got. Maybe I really _am_ weaker for using a crutch."_ I looked up at Loki. "Please, tell me, Sensei! How can I become stronger?"

He walked over and offered me his hand. "Let me help you up. Once I help you gain your footing, you can use your own legs." I smiled a little, understanding the hidden meaning. I took his hand, and he pulled me up. "Why did you join the Society of Light?"

"I just…I felt so weak," I said. "You're my friend, and I didn't want to hold you back. I wanted another way to get strong, so I wouldn't bother you."

"We are friends," he replied. "If you felt that way, I'd want you to tell me."

"…"

"Teaching you doesn't make me weak, Shizuka. If anything, it makes me strive to become stronger myself, so I can be a better teacher to make you stronger. And that, in turn, makes me push myself even more."

I turned away, so I couldn't see his reaction when I said, "I never thought of it that way."

He gently turned my head so we faced each other. "Do you remember when I first asked you to be my apprentice? You asked me if I could make you a great duelist like Joey or Mai. Do you admire them for their strength?"

"Kind of," I said. "But they were also cool people. They're both so brave!"

"You see, Shizuka, your spirit is what's most important. A good duelist gains spirit through strength, but an elite duelist strength through spirit."

"Like Joey…Mai…Yugi! He's your next opponent!"

"Good. I've been meaning to get a rematch with him. Care to watch, Shizuka?"

I smiled, happy that he hasn't grown sick of me. "I'd love to."

End Chapter


	5. Yugi vs Loki: Who's the True Hero?

Before we kick off, a thanks to Ophion Kuyashi for his review.

**Loki's Eyes**

Something was wrong. The presence I felt obviously belonged to Yugi, but something was different. Something was missing. I'm not sure what it was, but I had the feeling I wouldn't like it.

"It's the Millennium Puzzle," said Shizuka, as if she knew my thoughts. "He doesn't have it anymore."

I stopped walking immediately. "What? Why doesn't he have it?"

"Before Yugi joined the Brotherhood, Hikaru confiscated the puzzle, saying that it supplied the darkness in Yugi's soul."

"And Yugi didn't try to get it back?"

"That's right. Hikaru is very persuasive."

"Well, he _did_ plant that ridiculous notion in your head that I'm better off without you. And of course, there's the utopia that would supposedly come when all darkness is wiped out. I'm glad I was able snap you out of it."

"Well…I still believe in the utopia. But I'll gladly follow your orders above his." Well, I knew it wouldn't be that easy to save her. At least she was out of danger. But now, I had to duel my way to Hikaru to free her from her foolish fantasy.

As she promised, Yugi awaited me in the next room I came to, wearing all white. "Hey, Loki," he said. "I bet you didn't think we'd see each other so soon, huh?"

"Indeed," I answered. "What surprises me more is that we're on opposite sides, and that _you're _the bad guy."

"Are you sure?" he challenged. "We're on the side of light, and you're telling us that we're evil?"

"You may be light, but what you're doing could end up destroying the world. That seems pretty evil to me. Evil is as evil does."

"Let's say that our actions _do_ bring about the destruction of the world. Is this really a world worth fighting for?"

I frowned. "What are you saying, Yugi? The whole point of the Battle City tournament was for you to save the world."

"Was it really? Or was it my first step to defeating the darkness? Perhaps joining the Celestial Brotherhood was my destiny to begin the cleansing of the world."

"Ok, you're obviously not in your right mind. Why hasn't the Pharaoh talked you out of this? Where is he?"

"Gone," he said. Such a simple response, but it meant absolutely everything. "Bound to the Millennium Puzzle, he is where the Puzzle happens to be."

"Don't you care where he is?"

"No."

"Then you're in worse shape than I thought," I muttered.

"That's because he was the only one of us to actually duel Hikaru," said Shizuka. "That means he received the most of his hypnotic influence."

I looked back at Shizuka. _"Now I'm confused. Is she with me or against me? …Wait. Maybe it's not as simple as all that. Then again, not everything is in black and white."_

"Are you ready to see the light?" demanded Yugi as his cards were projected before him.

I turned back to him. "Aren't you too old to be afraid of the dark? I threw the match in Battle City so you could help the Pharaoh uncover his past. If you're not going to do that, then I'll take my win back."

4000/4000

"And it starts with Newdoria (1200/800) in attack mode! Then I'll set one card and end my turn." I was a little unnerved by the grin that Yugi wore. _"If he gets one of his God Cards out, I'm deader than Seto Kaiba's charisma."_

"Look at you," he sneered. "You're shaking like a flower in a storm. I'll bet you're worried about the God Cards, aren't you? Let me set your mind at ease by saying I don't have any of them in my deck. They're at my Grandpa's shop for safekeeping. Still, it doesn't mean you're out of danger."

"_No kidding. Even if I'm not facing all three God Cards, my opponent is still a boy who's actually stronger than all three of them. I've only beaten two, myself."_

"I'll start by playing Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards, while discarding two. Then I play Sangan (1000/600) in defense mode, and set one card. That ends my turn."

"_Hmm…why did he play that monster face-up? Is he drawing me into an attack? …I'll bet his facedown card is Mirror Force, which will destroy all monsters I have in attack mode, as soon as I attack."_

"While we're young," coaxed Yugi.

"As you wish! I'll switch Newdoria to defense mode, and summon my Amazoness Swordswoman (1500/1600)!"

"You've triggered my trap!" declared Yugi. "It's called Dark Renewal! It sacrifices the monster you just summoned, and the monster on my field, and lets me special summon a spellcaster from my graveyard."

"It's the Dark Magician, isn't it?" I guessed.

"Aw, now you've spoiled the surprise. Come forth, Dark Magician (2500/2100)! Plus, since I sacrificed Sangan, I can bring a monster with 1500 attack points or less into my hand. And since the monster I chose is Watapon (200/300), I can special summon it immediately!"

"_Great. Now I have to contend with one of Yugi's strongest monsters, along with the wimpiest of his monsters."_ I sighed. "I'll just end my turn."

"I thought you would. And now, I play the spell card Fissure, which destroys the monster on your field with the lowest attack points! And now that your field is clear, Dark Magician attacks you directly; dark magic attack!"

"I know a trick of my own; how to make your magician disappear! I play Sakuretsu Armor, which destroys your monster!"

Yugi grunted in frustration as his monster disappeared. "Well, I'm not done yet. I'll summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600), and set another card. That's all."

"Glad to hear it. For my next trick, I'll set one card, and play Reflect Bounder (1700/1000)! I attack your Queen's Knight!"

"I activate Spellbinding Circle, which prevents your monster from attacking or changing its battle position!"

"_This is absolutely nuts! It seems as though without the Pharaoh, Yugi and I are actually evenly matched.__ This is a deadly dance we're playing."_ "I guess it's your turn, Yugi."

"And it begins by sacrificing Watapon to summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)! Queen's Knight, attack his Reflect Bounder!"

I looked up in surprise. "What? But my monster will destroy yours! Plus, thanks to my monster's effect, you'll take damage equal to the attack of your monster."

"Maybe so, but Reflect Bounder's other effect means it dies if it's attacked even once!" As he predicted, both of our monsters bit the dust.

4000/2300

"And now, my Dark Magician Girl will attack you directly!" As she charged up an attack he explained, "Since I have a Dark Magician in the graveyard, her attack points are raised by 300!"

"And all for naught," I snapped. "I play Nightmare Wheel! It works similarly to Spellbinding Circle, with the added effect that you lose 500 lifepoints every time my turn starts."

As Dark Magician Girl became ensnared in my trap, I felt our minds connect for a brief moment. _"Thank you,"_ she said. _"Please, Loki, free Yugi from Hikaru's control."_

"_I will. I promise," _I replied with a nod. Turning to Yugi I said, "You know, since this duel began, I've been meaning to ask you something."

He frowned. "Make it quick, because I want to continue my turn as soon as possible."

"Alright. My question is this: why are you still using the deck from Battle City, when you could've switched your cards like Téa and Shizuka?"

"Easy! My deck is so powerful, trading it for another one would be a fool's action."

"I was just wondering." I smiled. _"I know what you really mean; you can't throw your cards away, because they mean too much to you. That means the Yugi I know is still in there, somewhere."_

"And let me show you exactly how powerful it is. I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards. Then I use Card Destruction, forcing us to discard our current hands, and draw an amount identical to the amount we threw out. Next, I play Monster Reborn to revive Catapult Turtle (1000/2000) in defense mode. And I use its effect, sacrificing my immobilized Dark Magician Girl to inflict damage to you, equal to half the attack of my monster!"

2850/2300

"Now, I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Very well. I draw-"

"And I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back my Dark Magician!"

"That won't matter. I summon Berserk Gorilla, and play Riryoku! I'll drain half the attack points of your monster, and add it to mine! Gorilla, stamp out his mage with primal fury!"

"I discard Kuriboh from my hand, reducing the damage to zero!"

"Maybe so, but you've still lost a monster. Next, I'll set one card and end my turn." Yugi closed his eyes for a second. _"He's trying to pull off a Destiny Draw, isn't he?"_

Yugi drew, unleashing a small burst of energy. "I play Card of Sanctity, requiring us to draw until we each hold six cards. Then I remove Watapon and Kuriboh from the game to special summon my ultimate monster, Black Luster Soldier: Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500)!"

I clenched my fists. "That's one of the ultimate chaos monsters! Lynch has been searching for that card for years!"

"Then consider yourself lucky that you have the privilege to be trounced by it."

"Well, don't beat about the bush, Yugi. What does your monster do?"

"Well, if it destroys a monster in battle, it can attack a second time in a row! First, I'll have it destroy your Berserk Gorilla! Chaos blade attack!"

1850/2300

"And I'll finish you off by having it attack you directly!"

"Don't celebrate just yet, Yugi! I play the quick-play spell, Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! It lets me bring Kuriboh (300/200) out of my deck and onto the field in defense mode!"

"Fine. In that case, I'll use my extra attack to wipe it out. Chaos blade attack!" Once it was gone he said, "That's all for now."

"Good. In that case, I'll play a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Alright. Black Luster Soldier, wipe out his monster!"

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen," I said. "My monster is Obnoxious Celtic Guard (1400/1200), and as you know, it can't be destroyed in battle by any monster with attack points that are 1900 or more."

"Alright. Turn end."

"Hmm…I'll set one monster and a card, ending my turn."

"Glad to hear it! Then for my move, I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back the Catapult Turtle!"

"_If he sacrifices Black Luster Soldier and Catapult Turtle with its effect, I'm finished. And I'll be damned if I let that happen."_ "Sorry, try again! I use Magic Jammer, discarding one card to negate your spell!"

"Fine. And since I can't destroy your monster, I'll use Black Luster Soldier's other special effect, letting me remove it from the game." As my monster disappeared he said, "Luckily for you, I can't attack with my monster if I use that effect. Therefore, once I set one card, it's your turn."

"And what a turn it'll be," I said once I drew. "I'm going to play Double Spell, letting discard one spell to activate the Monster Reborn in your graveyard. And I'll use it to bring back an old friend of yours. Coming back for one final encore is the one and only Dark Magician!"

And once again, I connected with this creature. _"I need your help, Dark Magician,"_ I thought. _"Let's work together to snap some sense back into Yugi and rescue the Pharaoh."_

He nodded. _"Yes. I'll do all I can."_

I turned back to Yugi. "This is the end, Yugi. With only 2300 lifepoints, you have no hope of surviving my following attack."

Yugi smirked. "Have you lost your mind? You may have my most trusted monster on your side, but it's still not as powerful as mine."

"Maybe not by himself," I admitted. "But with the help of another, he'll take you down. But first, I'll flip my facedown monster, the Magician of Faith (300/400)! I use her special effect to transfer a spell in my graveyard to my hand. The card I chose is Premature Burial, letting me pay 800 lifepoints to bring back Jinzo (2400/1500)!"

"But when did those cards get in your graveyard?" demanded Yugi.

"It was when you played Card Destruction earlier." I took a deep breath. "Think for a minute, Yugi. Why do you want to destroy the world? Why have you abandoned the Pharaoh? You've only started having these thoughts since you lost to Hikaru, right?"

"I'm not brainwashed, if that's what you think," he replied.

"I think you are. And it's going to take the combined effort of me and these three monsters to help you realize the truth. Together we can defeat you." As I pulled a card from my hand, I shouted, "In other words…United We Stand!"

As I slapped that card into the Duel Disk, Dark Magician charged with a huge amount of energy, which was almost painful to look at, and equally painful to hear. "WHAT IS THIS?" shouted Yugi over the roar that filled the room.

"It's my strongest spell card," I said. "United We Stand raises Dark Magician's attack and defense points by 800 for every face up monster on my field! That's 2400 more, giving him a total of 4900 attack points!"

He flinched. "No way! Even _I've _never made him that strong! But I have my facedown…" He suddenly developed a shocked expression.

"I guess in the excitement, you almost forgot my Jinzo's ability to negate traps," I noted. "I actually could've brought out the stronger Guardian Angel Joan with my Premature Burial, but I knew you had the ability to stop me if I wasn't careful."

"Yay!" cheered Shizuka. "You're going to win, Loki!"

I smiled. "That's right. Dark Magician, use your dark magic attack!" The power behind that blast crushed Black Luster Soldier.

1850/400

"Yugi, your reign as King of Games has ended! Jinzo, annihilate!"

1850/0

Yugi fell to his back, with an expression of serene joy. "Hah. That was a great duel, Loki. It took me right back to Battle City." He messaged his head with his left hand. "Ugh…my head!"

"Now that you mention it," said Shizuka, "my head's starting to hurt too." I heard another cry of pain. I spun around, and saw Téa standing at the corridor I just came from, holding her head.

Then, as soon as it started, they all seemed to recover. "Whoa," said Téa. "That was a nightmare." She looked around, confused. "Wait, what's going on? Where are we?"

Yugi sat up. "I'm not sure. The last thing I clearly remember is Hikaru, facing me in a duel."

"Yeah, I remember that too. After that, I had this weird dream about dueling Loki."

"Me too," said Shizuka. "But it felt so real!"

I frowned. "Wait a minute! Don't pretend you forgot about my mad skills! You can't simply ignore the fact I defeated you!"

"So it wasn't a dream?" asked Yugi. "Then I really did lose. WAIT! Hikaru has my Millennium Puzzle!"

"No bloody duh!" I snapped. "You guys really thought it was all a dream? I worried myself sick trying to save you!"

To my surprise, Shizuka hugged me from behind. "I know. And we're all very happy you did."

I was glad she couldn't see my face from where she stood, because my face turned about as red as a tomato. "Yes, well…let's press on, gang. We have a world to save!"

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

After Yugi's defeat, the following two duels seemed very easy. I guess Hikaru simply didn't think that I'd make it past Yugi. The first was Taro, and he was as easily defeated as the first time. The other was one of the ones who kidnapped Shizuka; Kazuki, messenger of Gabriel. He fell just as easily as Taro. When they both lost, their minds were freed from Hikaru's control.

Then, at last, we came to the final door. It was locked, so I banged on it a few times. "Hikaru!" I yelled. "I've completed your little challenge, so open up!"

A second later, the door did indeed open, and we all stepped through. To my shock, Lynch lay on the floor, just behind Hikaru. "You never fail to amuse me, Loki," he said. "Your friend Lynch actually made it here two minutes before you did, though he wasn't against a champion like Yugi."

"It's over," I said. "Now that I've freed my friends – plus two – from your control, you can't unleash your destructive wave across the planet."

"Actually, I'm afraid you're wrong," he said. "While a duel may have snapped them out of their stupor, that doesn't make them above my influence. In fact, since I've converted them once, I can convert them again at will. Like so!"

I spun around, and my friends were clutching their heads, crying out. "No! Stop it, Hikaru! Leave them out of this!"

"I'd rather not! The more that I've converted, the stronger my powers grow, and the stronger my influence becomes! And with the latest addition of Darius Lynch, my powers are stronger than ever!"

My friends stopped screaming, and instead hunched over; blank, as if they were marionettes hanging from string. "All…hail…the Society of Light," they chanted un a dull monotone. They repeated it over and over again like a mantra.

I turned back to Hikaru, full of fury. "Who are you?"

As he began to levitate he announced, "I am Master Hikaru, leader of this faction of the Society of Light. Our goal is to cleanse the world of darkness."

"And what if the world simply can't exist without darkness?" I challenged. "Are you willing to risk destroying the entire world?"

"If the world truly is evil, then I won't hesitate to destroy it. Nobody should have to suffer from the darkness."

I activated my Duel Disk. "The only one to suffer will be you. Let's duel!"

"Sorry, but I don't feel like it," he replied. "I told you, my powers are much stronger than before. I no longer need to defeat someone in a duel to convert them." He pointed at me. "I need only do this!"

To my surprise, a beam of light shot out of his finger like a laser. It went so fast, all I could do was stare dumbly as it went through my chest and out the back. The world slowed down around me, and the world turned to darkness. I felt my knees buckle, and I began to fall. I seemed to fall forever, but it probably only took about two seconds.

As I fell, I heard someone call out to me. **_"Loki? Can you hear me?"_**

"_That voice! Is that you, Pharaoh?"_

"_**I've lost contact with Yugi, and you're the only one who hasn't fallen under Hikaru's influence."**_

"_Can it wait? I think I'm about to die."_

"_**No, you're not dying. Hikaru is trying to invade your mind!"**_

"_Oh. That must be why I feel all tingly."_

"_**Don't give in, Loki. I'm not sure how, but you have a darkness in you that's very similar to that of the Millennium Puzzle. I think I can use it to cross over into your body!"**_

"_I'm down with that. Since I'll just be a mindless zombie in a matter of seconds, I see no reason why you can't borrow my body; it's not like I'll be able to use it anyway."_

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a cold, stone platform. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "When did I get here?"

"You've always been here." I turned to the source of the voice, and it was the Pharaoh. He was dressed similarly to Yugi, except the colors were black with red rims, as opposed to white with blue rims. "This is the world of your mind."

I stood up and scanned my surroundings. It reminded me of an Escher painting; I think it was called _Relativity_. "What the hell? I know we're all a little crazy, but this is ridiculous! I could hide an elephant in here, and I'd never see it again!"

"The confusion symbolizes the mysteries of your past, and questions of the future. I should know; the maze in my mind is ten times the size of this."

"Wow. You're even weirder than I am!" Then I quickly covered my mouth; I didn't mean to simply blurt it out.

He chuckled slightly. "I guess so." Then he turned serious. "But right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to."

I nodded. "I know. Hikaru. If he gains control of me, he'll undoubtedly have enough power to fulfill his plan, destroying the world."

"Yes. But I've come here because I have a plan. We must merge together, combining our powers into one."

I raised my eyebrow. "That's easier said than done, Pharaoh. How would we go about doing that?"

"Two spirits can pool their powers together. We can focus our energy into this body, giving it our combined knowledge and experience."

"But I'm not a spirit, in case you haven't noticed. What would you have me do? Kill myself?"

"That's not necessary." He turned to me with a very serious face, and I had the feeling I'd dread what he said next. "You're already a spirit, and you've been one since I met you."

End Chapter

A ghost? Loki? But how did that happen? Find out in the next chapter.


	6. Unity of Spirits

**Loki's Eyes**

I tried to wrap my head around what the Pharaoh said, but it simply didn't make sense to me. "How can I be a spirit? I have a body, and I walked amongst the living in plain sight!"

"It's true that you have a body, but it isn't yours any more than Yugi's body is mine. I sensed it for a while, but didn't know what to make of it."

"So you're saying that I'm a spirit like you, and all these years I've inhabited someone else's body? How could I've not known that?"

"Perhaps I can explain," I heard someone say. I turned around, and saw a fellow with a face exactly like mine. "My name is Tom Galloway, and I'm the original owner of this body."

I scratched my head. "Um…hi." Surely, you can appreciate that it was really difficult for me to know what to say.

"The reason you don't remember inhabiting my body is because you did it the second I was born. When a spirit inhabits a newborn baby, they'll lose any knowledge they had beforehand. Consequently, they grow up, thinking that they're actually the person they possessed."

I sat back down. "So, I really _am _a spirit. I don't know why I possessed you in the first place, but I'm sorry."

"I'm not bitter," he said with a shrug. "You've done things with your life that I never would've done if I kept your body. In my mind, you're the real owner of this body."

"So what happens now?"

"Now, we try my plan," said the Pharaoh, as he extended his hand. "Give me your hand, and we can guide this body with our combined ambition."

I nodded and reached out to him. "Righteous. As I said to Yugi before delivering the final blow, united we stand!"

We shook, and then I felt this strange sensation over my entire body.

**000000000  
???'s Eyes**

I wasn't entirely sure of what my real name was, where I was, or even what I was. All I had was one purpose; to duel against evil. I sat up, and saw my first target; the evil – or perhaps simply misguided – duelist known as Hikaru. The sound of his puppets' chanting was the only sound that filled the room.

"Submit to me," he said.

"Never," I said in two simultaneous voices. The first voice was deep, commanding; with unlimited knowledge and experience. The second voice was younger, defiant; with infinite vigor and power. "Your plan is doomed to failure."

Hikaru frowned. "What? How are you resisting my power?"

I removed the strange device attached to my arm. I had no further use for the trinket. "If yours is the power of light, then it's no wonder darkness resides in this world."

"You dare to mock my power?" he demanded.

I removed my arms from my coat's sleeves, letting it hang from my shoulders. "Heavens, no. I'm simply observing that my power happens to be different than yours; different, and better. Would you agree?"

"I most certainly do not," he snarled. "So, you refuse to submit to my control?"

"I'm above your pathetic control, as a skyscraper is above a gnat."

"In that case…I have no choice but to destroy you!" He fired another beam from his fingers. I wasn't under any misinterpretation; I knew this one would kill me if I let it. But with a simple wave of my arm, it simply dissolved before it came within a foot of me. "Impossible!"

I conjured an orb of dark energy from my finger, roughly a foot in diameter. "I suppose the ball's in my court." I casually flicked it towards him, but it traveled faster than the human eye can see. Hikaru was only able to save himself by throwing up a defensive wall at the last second.

"As you can see," he said, "You're not exactly out of my league."

"Clearly, our powers are too equal to resolve in magical warfare," I said, flattering him too much. "It's game time."

He raised his eyebrow. "A game?"

"It's a Shadow Game, to be precise; I know how much you _love _darkness. We'll play using Duel Monsters. Whoever loses the duel will lose their powers. And as an extra twist, each player starts with 8000 lifepoints, rather than the traditional 4000."

"I accept," he said, creating the card images before him. "Be it in the shadows or the light, I've never lost a duel!"

"My, you're a confident one," I said as shadows flooded the room. Using a magic similar to his, I projected my cards before me. "Well…game start."

8000/8000

"Indeed!" said Hikaru. "And it starts with the field spell, Sanctuary in the Sky!" The field around us transformed until I stood outside a brightly-colored temple. Hikaru stood on the steps, in front of and above me. "Thanks to this shrine, controllers of fairy monsters take no battle damage if one of their fairies is involved in battle. Then I summon The Agent of Creation – Venus (1600/0)! Then I use her special ability, paying 500 lifepoints to add Mystical Shine Ball (500/500) to my hand."

8000/7500

"Then I'll set one card and end my turn."

"It appears as though I've drawn first blood," I said as I drew. "That was easy. Now, I'll draw some more! I play Mystical Space Typhoon, blowing away your facedown card! Next, I summon Mataza the Zapper (1300/800) and equip him with the Black Pendant, raising his attack by 500! I destroy your Agent of Creation!"

Hikaru angrily grunted. "My monster! Well, it doesn't matter, since my lifepoints remain intact."

"Maybe for now, but my monster can attack twice in turn. Now, I'll attack you directly!"

8000/5700

Hikaru clutched his chest. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Wait, let me guess: it's been so long since you've been attacked by a real monster that you've forgotten what it felt like."

"Silence! It's time you felt my full power! I summon Warrior of Zera (1600/1600)! And because Sanctuary in the Sky is on my field, I can tribute my Warrior of Zera to special summon Archlord Zerato (2800/2300)! And I use my monster's special ability, letting me tribute a light monster in my hand to destroy all monsters on your field!"

As my monster disappeared I said, "Don't forget that because of that, I lost the Dark Pendant. Therefore, you lose 500 lifepoints!" As my pendant crashed to the ground, a purple beam shot out and struck Hikaru.

8000/5200

Hikaru keeled over for a second before saying, "Perhaps, but now you're wide open! Zerato, attack his lifepoints directly!"

5200/5200

"I end my turn. It appears as though we're even."

"Appearances can be deceiving," I replied. "I activate Dark Magic Curtain!"

My poor opponent flinched. "What? But you don't have that card in your deck!"

"The duelist known as Loki doesn't have that card in his deck," I corrected. "But the duelist known as the Pharaoh does. Therefore, so do I. The deck I'm playing with is made with the best of both of their decks."

"In other words, you've weakened the King of Games' deck; a deck that I beat!"

"Hold that thought. First, I use the special effect of Dark Magic Curtain, letting me pay half of my lifepoints to special summon the Dark Magician from my deck!"

2600/5200

"And then I play Riryoku, draining the strength of your monster and adding it to mine for one turn. Dark Magician, strike down his Archlord with dark magic attack!"

2600/2700

Hikaru cried out. "I guess the shadows disagree with you," I noted.

"And the feeling's mutual," he snarled. "I will not fall to the shadows! HEAR ME? I will not end up like they did!"

I raised my eyebrow. "'Like they did', Hikaru? Who are you?"

"I told you, I'm Master Hikaru, leader of the-"

"ENOUGH!" I barked. "Cease your pathetic speeches. Why have you done all this? What's your quarrel with the darkness?"

He clenched his fists. "You could never understand my pain. Who have you lost, duelist; a terminally ill relative; a grandmother, perhaps? I bet it hurt."

"…"

"My wife…and my children…they were the picture of health! Then it happened. My worthless brother lost in a Shadow Game, and he wagered his life! But he weaseled out of it, offering the lives of my family in his stead!"

"This happened ten years ago, didn't it?" I guessed. "That was the same time the EDL was formed."

"…So you know. Mine was one of the incidents that were covered up. When Crawford offered me the hush money, I was so offended I didn't even know how to reply. I wandered the Earth, searching for a way to bring them back. That's when I ran into Him."

"Who is that?"

"Master Sartorius, the creator of the Society of Light. He inspired me to destroy the darkness that claimed my family's souls."

I shook my head. "I think your aim's a little lopsided. Point 1: if you wanted revenge against the force that destroyed your family, why don't you go after the duelist your brother lost to? Point 2: revenge solves nothing, anyway."

"You're wrong on both counts," he said. "The darkness is evil! It forces otherwise good people to do evil things. And my revenge will destroy the darkness, and end all evil!"

I smirked. "I have bad news for you, then."

"Hmm?"

"The darkness isn't what makes people evil. Everyone has the capacity for good or evil. Let's say that your actions don't destroy the world, hypothetically speaking. If you destroy the darkness, evil will still be everywhere; your family's murderer will still be free, and people will continue to be mean and nasty to each other. You're fighting a losing battle."

"SILENCE!" he screamed. "I WILL NOT HAVE YOU MAKE LIGHT OF EVERYTHING I'VE WORKED SO HARD TO ACHIEVE!"

"Then let's get on with our little game, shall we? I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Very well. First I play the Card of Sanctity, forcing us to draw until we each hold six. Then I play the spell card, Eternal Resurrection! First, I choose one monster in my graveyard – in this case, Archlord Zerato – and then I get to bring it back to the field. And from this point on, if my monster's destroyed, I can discard a card from my hand to being it back."

I frowned. "Well, that'll certainly make this more challenging."

"And here's another twist: I'll use my monster's special ability, letting me discard one light monster from my hand to destroy your monster! And now, I can finish you off with Archlord Zerato!"

"I think not. I activate my facedown card, Widespread Ruin! It destroys the monster on your field with the highest attack points!"

Hikaru shrugged. "No harm done. Thanks to Eternal Resurrection, I'll simply discard one card from my hand, and bring my monster back. Luckily for you, it can't attack again, since I already declared an attack with it. So, make your move."

"Good, because it's about time I finished this duel!"

"What?"

"First, I play Monster Reborn to bring back the Dark Magician!" I grinned. "Watch closely; here's a variation of a little trick Yugi used to advance the Battle City finals. It gets a little complicated from here, so pay close attention."

"…"

"I play Necromancy, which special summons four random monsters in your graveyard to your field in defense mode!" Two Mystical Shine Balls, Agent of Creation, and Warrior of Zera reappeared. "Each time one of them is destroyed, I can lower the attack points of another one of your monsters by 600. And then I use Diffusion Wave-motion, letting me pay 1000 lifepoints so my monster can attack each and every one of your monsters!"

1600/2700

Hikaru smirked. "You plan to weaken my Zerato enough to destroy it, correct? What'll that accomplish? Sanctuary in the Sky will prevent me from taking any damage. And then I can simply use my Eternal Resurrection spell to bring back Zerato in all its glory."

"Not if I play Heavy Storm first, letting me wipe out your spells and traps!" With his field spell gone, the shadows we dwelled in were clearly visible. "Dark Magician, it's time for a rapid-fire dark magic attack!" With each monster destroyed, Zerato grew weaker and weaker, until it was left with only 400 attack points. Then it too disappeared.

1600/600

The last attack knocked Hikaru to the ground. "Perhaps staying down would be your best course of action," I suggested. "I'll give you a second to mull it over. In the meantime, I'll set one monster and end my turn."

Hikaru struggled to his feet. "Impressive. I didn't expect anyone would come so close to defeating me. But I haven't come all this way, simply to lose the final battle!"

"Heh. I believe that's Loki's line," I said. "No matter what, this'll be the last turn."

"Agreed. And I'll play Snatch Steal, letting me take control of your precious Dark Magician!"

As my monster was pulled away I snapped, "Hey! I thought you were too good to use the darkness!"

"I'm not using it. I'm destroying it! More accurately, I'm sacrificing your monster to summon Majestic Mech – Ohka (2400/1400)! I'll use it to strike down your monster!"

"Fine. My monster's the Magician of Faith (300/400), which means I can bring a spell back to my hand."

"Fine. Turn end."

"That was a big mistake, leaving your monster unprotected. For now, I summon Reflect Bounder (1700/1000)! And now I activate the card I brought back from the graveyard, Riryoku!"

Hikaru flinched. "No, it can't be!"

"Perhaps you can take solace in one thing: at least you won't be finished off by a dark monster. Reflect Bounder, finish him!" Hikaru screamed as his last lifepoints were ripped from him.

1600/0

"You are undone," I declared. "I warned you that revenge would only lead to misery."

"Damn you! I'll show you misery!" He cupped his hands together, harnessing his power. "If I can't fulfill my destiny, I'll simply generate energy until I explode, taking you with me!"

The Eye of Anubis appeared on my forehead. "The door to darkness has opened." Several strands of dark energy shot form the darkness, binding my foe. "These games show the true nature of those who play them." As I spoke, hundreds of black spears surrounded Hikaru. "You hate the darkness, but it's in everyone. And it'll be in you more literally than others…on account of sadistic acupuncture!"

He cried out in agony as the spears ripped into him. Poor fool; little did he realize that the pain he endured was only in his mind.

**000000000  
???'s Eyes**

When the shadows faded, I stood in the throne room. Loki and the Pharaoh's friends, and the other members of the Society of Light, were out of their stupor. "You saved us," said the girl called Shizuka. Her voice was all croaky.

"I could see and hear, but I couldn't move," said Téa in an equally croaky voice. "I couldn't do much of anything except repeat that phrase over and over again."

Yugi walked up to me. "So…are you Loki?"

"I'm neither Loki, nor the Pharaoh," I replied. "I am a weapon created by the two of them, intended to use their combined powers to defeat any opponent."

Yugi put his hand behind his head and fidgeted nervously. "Listen…tell the Pharaoh I'm sorry for-"

I put my hand on his shoulder. "He understands, and he forgives you."

"God damn," groaned Lynch as he regained consciousness. "I'm getting too old this sort of thing." Then he looked up and saw me. "Loki? …No, somehow you're someone different. What about Hikaru?"

"Defeated," I answered. "He's right over…huh?"

Hikaru lay twitching on the ground, as a fountain of light came out of his chest. Slowly, he became thinner and wrinkled. Once the light faded, Hikaru was a frail old man. Taro walked up to him with a frown. "This is Hikaru? What happened to him?"

Hikaru stirred slightly as he opened his eyes. "This is…my true form; a decrepit old priest…who strayed like a lamb."

I stood above him. "Why, Hikaru?"

"To gain power…I needed a stronger body. Sartorius gave me the power…to convert anyone I defeated…and to restore my youth…the more I've converted to our cause. Now that I've lost my power…I've reverted to this hollow shell of a body."

I crossed my arms. "And to think, less than five minutes ago, you were ready to kill me. I aught to crush you beneath my heel."

He breathed out something that resembled a chuckle. "Feel free. My remaining time in this world…is very short. Grant me one wish…please destroy Nigel Garza." He reached into his coat, and brought out the Millennium Puzzle. "I wanted this…to scry for him. He is in…the Poenari Citadel. Stop him…from unleashing…the Card Guardian."

I took the Millennium Puzzle from him. "That goes without saying."

He smiled at me for a brief second. Then he closed his eyes, and his body went completely limp. I didn't need to check his pulse; I used Loki's gift to check his aura. But when I scanned, there was nothing.

Hikaru was dead.

I turned back to Yugi. "The time has come, Yugi Moto. Take the Millennium Puzzle, and be reunited with the Pharaoh."

"What'll happen to you?" he asked.

"Without the Pharaoh's presence in this body, I will cease to be, and Loki will return."

"Then we're saying goodbye already?" asked Téa. "We've only just met!"

I smirked. "Then don't say goodbye. After all, we never said 'hello' to begin with. You may not be able to see me, but I'll exist in the hearts of Loki and the Pharaoh and in your hearts as well." I pressed the Millennium Puzzle into Yugi's hand, transferring the Pharaoh's spirit to the item in the process. Before I completely faded, I gave a small wave and said, "So long."

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

As I saw everything through the unknown duelist's eyes, I didn't need any details as to what happened. Once I was back in my body, I stretched a few times to get used to it. "That was a fun duel to watch. Plus, it was the first time I declared a Shadow Game myself. It was very exhilarating."

I heard Lynch's angry groan. "You have a very warped sense of reality, Loki. I hope you realize that."

"Bygones," I said as I removed my coat and reached for my Duel Disk. "Well, this was an amusing little side quest, but there are more important things to do."

"Did you hit your head?" demanded Téa. "Or didn't you notice that the guy you created just killed somebody?"

"Oh, I noticed," I said. "Of course I noticed that the man who kidnapped my friends and made life miserable for me is dead. I'd give him a burial equal to his decency, but I don't know where the trashcans are in this crazy castle. Besides, I still have some work to do. I have to destroy Nigel Garza and stop him from resurrecting the Card Guardian."

I started to walk towards the exit, but Lynch put his hand on my shoulder. "Not to pretend I'm your dad or anything, but you're cranky and irritable. Shouldn't you at least take a nap before charging into battle again?"

Maybe it was the effects of the day finally catching up to me, or perhaps the absence of the Pharaoh's invigorating power; whatever the case, I felt the fatigue set in when he said that. "…Maybe you're right. Let's head back to base camp."

End Chapter


	7. Out of the Frying Pan…

**Shizuka's Eyes**

It was nighttime when I woke up next, yet I didn't feel sleepy at all when I awoke. I guess I was still on Japan time. I stretched and rolled out of my cot, making my way to the tent's entrance. When I stood outside, Lynch was sitting on a foldable chair, going through his deck. "Lynch-san?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Ah, my former student's apprentice. You're just in time." He picked up a pile of clothes by his side – I recognized them as Loki's – and handed them to me. "Téa retrieved them before we left the castle, and I dried them off. I think he'd appreciate it if you delivered them. His tent's over there."

I took the clothes and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Lynch-san."

When I arrived at the tent, Loki was still asleep. Not wishing to disturb him, I gently set the clothes by his feet and sat on a chair. _"Look at him, with that happy grin on his face. I guess he's not dreaming about everything he's been through. Maybe that's why he puts up with me, in spite of what I've put him through."_

A few minutes later, he yawned and sat up. "Good morning, Shizuka. Did you sleep well?"

"Um…yes," I lied. "I, um…I brought your clothes."

"Thanks," he said as stood up. "It's not as though the Society of Light uniform isn't comfy, but red and black has always been my color."

To my surprise, he slipped off his shirt without even asking me to turn around. "Sensei?" I asked.

"Yes?" he shot back, a little confused. "…Well, if you're shy about seeing my body, feel free to turn around."

I blushed. "Sorry. I just never saw a boy's…body."

"Well, I've never seen a girl's body either," he replied as he undid his belt. "Of course, you're not going to see all of mine right now. If someone were to walk in, they might get the wrong impression."

"You're right," I said as he took his pants off. _"So, he wears boxers. I wondered, in spite of myself. …Is he becoming hard?"_

As if I asked it out loud, Loki quickly turned his back to me as he put his black pants back on. "Besides, it's a trust issue; I'll only show mine if you showed me yours." I was so surprised by that, I didn't know how to reply. "I'm kidding," he explained as he fastened his belt.

"Oh, right," I stated as he slid into his red shirt. "I forgot that you're a funny guy."

He turned slightly as he buttoned his hooded vest halfway, and I could see he frowned. "You did? In that case, I'm not trying hard enough." At last, he slid into the overcoat he wore when he was with the Ghouls, and equipped the Selkirk Rex pendant.

I turned my gaze to the floor, because I didn't want to see his face. "I'm sorry, Loki-Sensei."

"Why?"

"I wanted you to be around when I created my first deck. I know how important it is to you, and it hurt me as well."

He knelt down, so his face was level with mine. "It's ok. Whether or not you use this deck from now on is up to you. But when we get back, we'll build a deck together, just the two of us."

A second later, Lynch-san burst in. "Loki, I thought you'd like to…am I interrupting something?"

Loki stood up. "It's ok, Lynch. What's up?"

"I thought you'd like to know that we made a call to the home base to give an update on our mission. They're sending transports to take the former members of the Society of Light home."

Loki smiled. "That's great news!" he turned to me. "It's decision time, Shizuka. Do you wanna stay and fight, or would you like to go home?"

"I'm staying," I immediately decided. "You're my master, and my place is with you."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," he said, offering me his hand. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet. "Then siblings in war, to the battle shall we hence. Shall we hence?"

"Not yet," said Lynch. "Before we storm the Poenari Citadel, we've been ordered to await the arrival of a new field commander."

Loki frowned. "What's wrong with our current commander?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that his replacement wanted to personally attend that battle. He's coming along with the transports."

"Who is he?" I asked.

"He's our biggest sponsor, and the President of Industrial Illusions."

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

We waited at the edge of the village, for there was no room within for the transports to land. There were only a few of us there; me, Lynch, Shizuka, Yugi, Téa, and a few duelists whose names I hadn't yet bothered to learn. Thankfully, all my friends were back in their usual clothes; all-white simply didn't work for them.

After we waited for about five minutes, several aircrafts that resembled business jets flew overhead. Once they landed in front of us, the one in front opened up, and Pegasus J. Crawford hopped out.

He smiled when he saw us. "Oh, Yugi-boy! You don't call, you don't write; after everything we've been through, you could've at least sent an E-mail."

I crossed my arms. "It's a shock to see you here, Crawford. What happened? Were your cartoons cancelled?"

Lynch ignored our conversation and walked up to Crawford. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Crawford. I am Darius Lynch, the man who organized this."

"Lynch?" he asked. "Your name sounds familiar. Have we met?"

"We have indeed. It was in Ireland, during the National Championships. I was the finalist who lost to Kaiba."

"Ah, of course!" he replied. "Well, you've certainly come a long way in ten years. Where are the refugees?"

"They're queued up by the tents in the town square, grouped by country as you requested."

"Good work." He turned to his employees and said, "Get those people into the appropriate transports within fifteen minutes! Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Crawford!" they answered, giving a sharp salute before heading into the town.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

Once we arrived at the main tent, a hologramatic display of the Poenari Citadel appeared on the table in the middle. "Here's the plan," said Crawford. "According to the layout, there's only one point of entry: at the top of a set of stairs with 1426 steps."

"_How_ many steps?" I asked. "And that's just to enter it?"

"There's no need to panic," said Lynch. "We'll use helicopters to bypass the stairs. We can't actually land since the castle simply isn't stable enough, so we'll have to jump off once we arrive."

"Fine, but don't make it a big jump," said Loki. "Breaking our limbs upon our arrival will put a bit of a crimp on the plan, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed," said Crawford. "Upon reaching the castle, we can expect to face about ten duelists. Once we make it past them and enter the castle, the path branches in three directions. At which point, we separate into three teams and go through the corridors; one of the teams is bound to find Nigel Garza somewhere in the castle."

"So we don't know exactly where he is?" asked Yugi.

Crawford shook his head. "We'll simply have to find him the hard way." The display changed, and we now saw a man wearing a lab coat, with bifocals and spiky hair. "This is Nigel Garza."

"I had such high hopes," joked Loki. "I expected my quarry to look much stronger, but he looks like something out of a cult sci-fi film." Turning a bit more serious he asked, "We're really supposed to duel our way to Dr. Garza? I sense he's already accumulated a large amount of dark energy to fuel the Card Guardian, and time is of the essence."

"I've already addressed that, Loki-boy. I've offered an award for anyone who duels for us; a rare card for dueling for us, five rare cards for defeating one of their number, and a one-of-a-kind promotional card for whoever defeats Garza."

He shot out of his seat. "Really? Do I get the card if I defeat him?"

"I don't see why not."

Loki smiled widely. "Congrats, Crawford: you've instantly moved up to my third favorite person. Now the order goes me, Shizuka, you, Yugi, Joey, Téa, Ishizu, Tristan, Lynch, Duke-"

"Hang on a minute!" snapped Lynch. "Why is it that I, the man who raised you, happen to be so far down the list?"

"Maybe it's because you raised me. Duh!"

"Ahem!" snapped Téa. "Why is Crawford suddenly above us?"

"If you give me a card, you can move up the ranks," he offered.

"Aren't we drifting from the point?" I asked.

"Yes," said Lynch-san, still sounding irritated from Loki's statement. "Obviously, we need to start this mission as soon as possible. So, we'll depart in fifteen minutes. That should give the duelists plenty of time to decide. Meet by the planes in exactly fifteen minutes. Meeting adjourned."

As the others walked out, I remained seated, thinking about what Loki said. _"He really ranks me as his favorite person below him? I never knew he thought of me in such high regard." _I shot up, filled with pure determination. "I'm going to win that card and give it to you, Loki-Sensei!"

To my horror, Loki poked his head back in. "What was that?"

I froze, trying to think of a remotely believable excuse for what I said. "I said…I'm going to play my part and support you, Loki-Sensei."

He nodded and smiled. "That's the spirit, Shizuka. I know you'll do just fine if you have faith in yourself. …That sounded pretty lame, didn't it?"

"Nothing sounds lame from you, Loki-Sensei." I quickly realized that he might make a very accurate impression of my feelings if he thought about my statement, so I rephrased, "I meant you have this aura of seriousness around you."

"I didn't know you could see auras too."

"I meant metaphorically," I replied with a shrug.

"I think I knew that. Come on, let's go wait at the planes. I can't wait to see my competition." As we walked he said, "I already know I can expect Yugi to try and beat me to the card. Téa will probably try and prove herself again."

"_And I, Loki-Sensei, will be the biggest threat to you, because I'm fighting for something more."_

End Chapter

Sorry about the short and uneventful chapter. The action heats up in the next one.


	8. I didn't know they could duel

WARNING! This chapter contains characters from the 1st Series Anime. I refer to them by their names in the DDM game when I can. Thank you.

**Loki's Eyes**

I was quite pleased that we had twelve volunteers to fight with us. That meant we had enough to keep the ten guardian duelists at bay, and still storm the citadel. More personally, I'm glad that even after all that's happened, at least twelve duelists still had the Duelist Spirit.

"It's kind of quiet, isn't it?" asked Shizuka.

I mistakenly believed she referred to the helicopters that were currently flying us to our destination. "That Crawford has money coming out of his ears," I stated. "Each piece of the helicopter was probably made in a different country."

"That's not what I meant. I meant I'm the first person to say anything for five minutes."

"Oh, that. It's just the calm before the storm. Everyone's nervous about what awaits us at the castle."

I frowned. "I thought you said it was a citadel."

"Same difference," I replied with a shrug. "Are you worried?"

"Well, maybe a little," she admitted.

"Don't be. Just focus on your game and you'll do fine. Besides, you'll have Crawford to protect you. He may be a little quirky, but he's the dude who invented – nay, modernized – the game."

She crossed her arms, clearly more than a little miffed. "I still wish I was on your team."

"As do I. Still, even if your training isn't completed, you still need to muster the courage to go into battle without me." But there was another reason I wanted her on a different team; I wanted Garza all to myself. With his defeat, I'd win the promotional card, and give it to Shizuka as a present. _"And I know exactly what I'll say. 'Here is the first of many presents, for I'm in love with you, Shizuka!' …Maybe that needs a little work."_

Once we arrived at our destination, the first wave of duelists hopped out of their helicopter and began to duel against the guards. Once the duels were underway, our helicopter flew into position, and we ran past the duels and into the castle.

"Dracula's castle," I stated once we closed the doors behind us. "The dark energy is so thick here; I can barely read anyone else's energy."

"I guess it means you'll have to use your eyes, Loki-boy," retorted Crawford. Turning to the rest he said, "Everyone's familiar with the groupings, right? Then let's get this show on the go!" With that, he led Shizuka and Taro to the room adjacent to the entrance.

Lynch gave me a salute. "Stay alive, Loki. Or else." With that, he led Kazuki and Satomi to the corridor on the right, leaving me alone with Téa and Yugi.

I turned to Yugi. "Lead the way, Yugi. I've played hero for long enough already."

"I've been playing hero for much longer than you have!" he shot back. "But I guess I might as well lead, since I have more experience."

We opened a few doors during the next few minutes, but they only led to empty rooms. "I think Garza's been doing a little remodeling," I said. "I did a report on Dracula in the sixth grade, and I'm pretty sure the Poenari Citadel didn't have so many rooms."

"Garza probably did this just to laugh at us," snarled Téa. "I bet that's how all evil villains spend their time."

"Maybe," agreed Yugi. "It certainly seems as though a lot of the bad guys I've fought against have spent most of their time watching me as I battled my way to them."

"It's called sadism," I said as I struggled with a locked door. "For those who are evil at heart, crushing their opponent's spirit is as entertaining as actually defeating them." I banged on the door. "Garza, are you in there? Open this door and face the music!"

A second later, the door slowly swung open. "Be careful," warned Yugi.

I smirked. "Time for some famous last words; what's the worst that could happen?" I stepped inside, walking to the center of the room. On the wall parallel to the entrance, a chunk of the wall was missing, and I could see the valley outside the castle. _"It looks like there's nothing in here of real interest."_ I turned to leave, but the door suddenly slammed shut and locked. _"Scratch that."_

The door didn't simply shut by itself; it was forced shut. A large man stood in front of the door, with a grin on his face. While he wasn't the man I was searching for, I recognized him instantly. When my spirit merged with the Pharaoh's, I shared his memories. "You're Diesel Kane." He was a thug that Joey used to hang with.

"Nice guess," he said as he played with a yoyo that was covered in spikes. "If you know me, you probably have a good idea of what I'm going to do to you."

"Treat me to dinner?" I offered.

"Funny." Suddenly, he launched his yoyo at me. I managed to use my Duel Disk to deflect a hit that would've permanently given me a nasty scar. "Nice move, but can you keep it up?"

Kane started launching his yoyo at me in rapid succession, and each time I was able to draw the blows away from my face. However, he kept advancing on me, and as I had no way to hit back, I was forced to give ground until he cornered me at the ledge. "It's nothing personal, but Mr. Garza doesn't want anyone stopping him. Your choice," he sneered. "Take a dive, or get cut to pieces."

I knew well enough that from the height I was at, falling would mean an early end to my dueling career. On the other hand, my friend was probably less than content with simply ruining my pretty face. It was six of one and a half dozen of the other.

Or so it seemed, until the door burst open, and there stood the Pharaoh in all his glory. "Diesel Kane! You still feel strong by taking on people weaker than you?" Kane turned around, obviously surprised.

Seeing my chance to wrest his weapon away from him, I lunged at him. Unfortunately, he didn't turn all of his attention away from me. He launched his yoyo at me, but this time I wasn't able to completely dodge it. It made a thin slice across my left cheek. Not letting surprise hinder me for even a second, I screamed in anger and punched Kane in the stomach. As the wind escaped his lungs, I ripped the yoyo off his finger and knocked him across the room with a sharp kick.

Téa stood there, completely blown away by my sudden fury. "Loki…"

I breathed heavily, as the adrenaline slowed from a flood to a slow trickle. I looked down at the yoyo in my hand, and my eyes widened in surprise as blood dripped from a few of the spikes. I threw the yoyo through the hole in the wall and placed my hand on my cheek. I winced as I traced the mark of the wound with my finger. _"That bastard drew my blood,"_ I grudgingly thought to myself. _"Shizuka's going to be very cross with me."_

"Are you ok?" asked the Pharaoh. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"It hurts, but it's nothing I can't play through," I answered. "Don't apologize; if you hadn't burst in when you did, I would've been reduced to sushi."

"Still, I wonder what Diesel Kane is doing here. What does he have to do with Nigel Garza?"

As if in response to my question, a knock came from the door to the left of the hole in the wall. "I guess we'll find the answer in there," I said. "How about _you _enter first?"

The Pharaoh smirked. "You're too kind." He slowly opened the door, clearly expecting a sort of trap. When nothing happened to him, Téa and I followed. "Keep your guard up," he warned.

"That's a bit of a moot point, I'm afraid," I answered. "For you see, I sense we're already surrounded."

As three figures emerged in the room, one of them said, "Aw, you spoiled the surprise."

I recognized the one who spoke as Fortuno, a student who used to go to Yugi's school. He claimed he was able to see the future, but his predictions only came true because he made them come true. When he tried to kidnap Téa, Yugi defeated him in a Shadow Game.

The second figure was Haiyama, another student who went to Yugi's school. He was a boy who wanted humans as pets. He paid them money to do what he said, and hit them with a whip if they didn't comply. Yugi beat him in a Shadow Game when he tried to make Tristan his next pet.

The third figure was a criminal known as Tick-Tock; alias, the Playing Card Bomber. He was a criminal who planted bombs in Domino, challenged the head detective to a riddle to determine where the bombs were, and set them off if he answered wrong. When one of the bombs threatened Téa, Yugi defeated him in a…

That's when I realized the pattern. "Everyone working for Garza has been involved in a game with Yugi!" I stated. "Even Diesel Kane's thugs lost to Yugi. So did Fortuno, Haiyama, and Tic-tac."

"Tick-Tock," the man angrily corrected. "And now we're going to play a new game."

"And it's a game that you're very familiar with," added Fortuno. "It's a Shadow Game!"

"It'll be played as a three-on-three duel," explained Haiyama. "Each team starts with 12000 lifepoints, and players can only attack directly when all opponents have no monsters on the field. Whichever team loses the duel loses their souls!"

"Fighting us in a Shadow Game?" I asked. "What foolishness. The darkness is my element."

"Let's get this over with," said Téa as she switched her Duel Disk on. "I've been meaning to take a swing at these guys for a long time."

"It's the same for me, and that's simply after hearing about them," I replied after switching on mine.

"Then let's begin this Shadow Game," declared the Pharaoh. "It's time to duel!"

12000/12000

"Ladies first," called Téa. "I'll set one monster and one facedown card, ending my turn."

"Then it's my go," said Fortuno. "I'll simply set one monster and one card, ending my turn."

"Then for my move," said Pharaoh, "I'll set two cards and summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600)! That's all."

"I summon Shadow Tamer (800/700), and set one card," announced Haiyama. "Go ahead."

"Don't mind if I do," I answered as I drew. "And my monster is Obnoxious Celtic Guard (1400/1200) in attack mode! Then I'll set two cards. The ball's in your court, Pop-Rocks."

"Tick-Tock!" he snapped as he drew. "I'll set a monster and one card. That's it."

"My move," said Téa. "My facedown monster is Kaiser Seahorse (1700/1650), and if I use it as a tribute for a light monster, it counts as two sacrifices. So, I sacrifice it to summon Wingweaver (2750/2400)! Then I equip my monster with Fairy Meteor Crush, which allows my monster to trample yours. Wingweaver, destroy Fortuno's monster!"

12000/10250

"My monster is called Big Eye (1200/1000)," said Fortuno. "And it has a very special ability; when it's flipped, I can rearrange the top five cards in my deck."

"That won't help. Just make your move."

"Gladly! And before I draw, I'll play my permanent trap, Miracle Draw! It allows me to predict what the top card in my deck will be, before I draw it. And if I guess correctly, you lose 1000 lifepoints. Guessing wrong will make me lose 1000 lifepoints."

My eye twitched in irritation. "That's why you used Big Eye to rearrange your top cards. That way, you can never be wrong."

"That's right! And now, I predict Change of Heart will be the card I pick up." He drew. "Ho, ho! I was absolutely correct!"

11000/10250

"And now I activate said Change of Heart, which allows me take control of Wingweaver for one turn. Then I'll set one monster and attack directly!"

"Um, I have a trap card I'd like to show you," I said. "It's Dimension Wall! As this attack will do battle damage, _you _take the damage instead."

11000/7500

"Nice work, idiot!" Haiyama snarled. "Are you _trying_ to get us killed?"

"You have only yourselves to blame," said Pharaoh. "When you called this Shadow Game, you brought this on yourselves."

"Please, Pharaoh," I joked, "you need remember who you're talking to. You need to limit your words to as few syllables as possible."

"You won't be laughing for long," snarled Fortuno. "I play Mystic Wok, allows me to sacrifice Wingweaver to increase our lifepoints by its attack points."

11000/10250

"I end my turn."

"Now, I get serious," said Pharaoh. "I summon King's Knight (1600/1400)! And because Queen's Knight is also on the field, I get to special summon Jack's Knight (1900/1000) from my deck!"

I grinned. "Lovely work. It looks like it's time to clean house."

"Right," agreed Pharaoh. "And it starts with Queen's Knight attacking the Shadow Tamer!"

11000/9550

As Haiyama reeled from the attack he snapped, "Maybe so, but I play Revenge Sacrifice! Now, I get to sacrifice the monster you just attacked with to summon Monster Tamer (1800/1500) in attack mode!"

"It's a feeble defense at best. Jack's Knight, wipe out his Monster Tamer!"

11000/9450

Fortuno smirked. "_Now_ who's the idiot? He just wiped out two of your monsters without a fight!"

"Don't give me that look!" he snapped. "If I take the fall, so do you!"

"And I'm going for a third attack!" declared Pharaoh. "King's Knight, destroy Tick-Tock's facedown monster!"

He suddenly grinned. "Bombs away. My monster is called Blast Sphere (1400/1400)! Since you attacked it, my monster is now equipped to yours. Come my next turn, my monster will self-destruct, wiping out your monster and reducing your lifepoints by an amount equal to your monster's attack points."

Pharaoh grimaced. "I end my turn."

"Excellent!" said Haiyama as he drew. "In that case, I summon Snipe Hunter (1500/600)! By discarding a card from my hand, I can use its effect to roll a six-sided die. And if it's any number between two and five, I can destroy one card on your field." He rolled, and it came up a three. "Success! I destroy Jack's Knight with the effect!"

"No!" shouted Pharaoh as his monster was blasted.

"And next, I attack and destroy the Obnoxious Celtic Guard!" I flinched as my monster bit the dust.

10000/9450

"And there's plenty more where that came from. But for now, I'll end my turn."

"Glad to hear it," I said. "It's time to avenge my monster. I summon the irrepressible Injection Fairy Lily (400/1500)! And I attack your monster, using its effect to pay 2000 lifepoints to increase her attack points by 3000!"

8000/7550

"And now, I activate my facedown card!" declared Téa. "It's called Sebek's Blessing, and it increases our lifepoints by the amount you lost."

9900/7550

I smiled. "Nice one, Téa! Now, I'll set one card and end my turn. Make your move, Knock-Knock."

"TICK-TOCK!" he shrieked as he drew. "And speaking of which, time's up! Now that it's my turn, Blast Sphere will destroy King's Knight, and 1600 of your lifepoints."

"Actually, I use Barrel Behind the Door, causing you to take the damage instead."

9900/5950

"Damn!" he snarled. "Well, I'll set a monster and end my turn."

"Then it's back to me," said Téa. "I summon Absorbing Kid from the Sky (1300/1000)! I use it to wipe out your monster!" Once Tick-Tock's Blast Asmodian (1000/300) was destroyed, she added, "By the way, when my monster destroys another, I gain lifepoints: 300, times of the level of your monster."

10800/5950

"Then I'll set one card and end my turn." Suddenly, Fortuno started chuckling. "What's so funny?"

"What's funny is that you've fallen right into my trap. Using Miracle Draw's effect, I'll prophesize that the next card I draw will be Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"Impossible!" I stated. "There are only three of those monsters in the world, and they're all in Seto Kaiba's deck. Are you trying to lose?"

Fortuno drew. "My heavens, I was wrong. That means we lose 1000 lifepoints."

10800/4950

He grinned. "I flip my facedown monster, Skelengel (900/400), allowing me to draw one card. Using Miracle Draw, I'll guess Blue Eyes White Dragon again. …It looks like I was wrong again!"

10800/3950

"He's cracking," said Téa.

"No, he isn't," I realized. "There are several cards that can benefit the user if their lifepoints are low!"

"You got it!" exclaimed Fortuno. "Now, I'll activate Reversal Quiz! At the cost of all cards on the field and in my hand, I get to guess whether the top card in my deck is a monster, spell, or trap. And if I guess right, we switch lifepoint totals! And I guess…it's a spell!" He picked up the card. "…Ta-da! I was correct!"

3950/10800

"Don't celebrate yet," warned Pharaoh. "Now it's my turn. I play Monster Reborn, bringing back Queen's Knight, whom I sacrifice to bring forth Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)! I use her to destroy your final monster!"

"I have a trap too," stated Tick-Tock. "It's called Blast Held By a Tribute! It destroys your monster, and takes away 1000 of your lifepoints!"

2950/10800

"…I end my turn."

"Thought so," said Haiyama. "Let's see…right now, there's only monster protecting you all: that Injection Fairy Lily! I'll take care of that now, with my Hayabusa Knight (1000/700)! I attack your monster!"

"Fool. Did you forget that I can increase my monster's attack points by playing lifepoints?"

"Loki, wait!" cried Pharaoh. But it was too late.

950/8400

Haiyama grinned. "Sucker. You may have destroyed my monster, but now your monster can't defend itself against another attack. Plus, you're down to your last 950 lifepoints, while we have 8400! You've lost."

His smile quickly faded when he saw I wasn't even remotely concerned. "Thanks for lowering our lifepoints. I think it's time we switched our lifepoints back."

Pharaoh breathed a sigh of relief. "I should've known you had a plan. Sorry."

"It's no big thing," I said, wiping some of the dried blood away from the scar on my face. "It's simple; I'll set one card, and play Double Spell, discarding one spell in my hand to activate a spell in another graveyard. I choose Reversal Quiz, which I activate now, at the cost of all cards on the field and in my hand!"

"You fool!" sneered Fortuno. "You have absolutely no way of knowing what you next card is, like I did."

"Sure I do. It's obviously Horn of the Unicorn, a spell." I closed my eyes and drew, showing it off. "Am I right?"

"Ack! You're right! But how did you know?"

"It's the card I set before playing Reversal Quiz. Its special effect returns it to the top of my deck if it's removed from the field. That way, it was impossible to get it wrong."

8400/950

"You cheater!" snapped Tick-Tock. "I'll make you pay for that. Unless you've noticed, you have no monsters on the field! And so, I summon Blast Magician (1400/1700) and attack directly!"

"Not a chance," said Pharaoh. "Unless you've noticed, I have a trap card. I play Mirror Force, destroying your monster!"

Tick-Tock grunted in frustration. "Now we're wide open!"

I nodded. "That's right, Bric-a-brac. This scheme's _blown up_ in your face, hasn't it?" I turned to Haiyama. "That's because you've lost _control_ over the situation." Then I looked over at Fortuno. "I have a vision of the future, and none of you are in it."

"Well said," replied Téa. "It's my move, and I play Monster Reborn to bring back Wingweaver! Obliterate them with celestial shockwave!"

8400/0

"The door to darkness has opened," I said as our opponents screamed in pain. "Those who dwell too deeply in the darkness run the risk of being consumed by it."

A second later, all three of them collapsed. "It's not that I like them or anything," said Téa, "but I'm not sure if they deserved to lose their souls."

I shrugged. "If they didn't lose them to the shadows, they'd lose them to hell. Of course, I'm not sure if either is less horrible than the other."

"That's cold."

"You'll forgive me if I have little tolerance for people who try to kill us." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, attempting to focus on the energies around me. "Some of the fog is clearing. I can feel Shizuka, and the others. There are four dark presences through the next door."

"Against the three of us? That's not fair!"

I stepped away from them and bowed respectfully. "Actually, I have a personal request. Do you think you could handle them without me?"

"Why?" asked Pharaoh.

"…I think I can sense where Nigel Garza is hiding. I want to defeat him before Shizuka reaches him. I want to win the promotional card for her."

Téa crossed her arms and smiled. "I knew it. I could tell there was something between you two."

I blushed and turned away. "It's a gift from master to student. It's nothing unheard of."

"Whatever you say, Loki. Who am I to stand in the way? We can handle four duelists, right, Yugi?"

Pharaoh nodded. "Right. You go on ahead, and we'll round up the remaining evil."

"You guys rock," I said, bowing again. "I swear, I'm going to make it up to you."

"Just stop him from bringing out the Card Guardian, and we're even. Let's go, Téa!" With that, they ran into the next room.

"I love my friends," I muttered. "I'll do all I can to save you guys." I ran out into the hallway and ran to the north. _"Garza…you're mine!"_

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

I tingled with anticipation as I faced the door, with awesome darkness flowing from it. Even Marik didn't flow with this much power. The penumbral force that lay behind the doors seemed to make the doors themselves shake, as if they were being pulled towards it.

I placed my hands on the door handle and started to pull. I soon discovered there was no "as if" about it; the energy was drawing things in; even me! The only thing protecting me from being sucked towards it were the very doors I strained to open. _"If I were smart, I'd wait until the energy dissipates. But if that's really Garza behind those doors, he may be in the middle of summoning the Card Guardian!"_

Without further hesitation, I yanked the doors open, thus eliminating my only protection. Luckily, the murky storm started to die down, so I was able to keep myself from falling in. Once it faded completely, three blue-haired girls lay on the floor. I recognized them from Pharaoh's memory as the Kageyama sisters.

Their opponent stood over them, reveling in his victory. "Your precious Hecate Sister cards didn't help you all that much, now, did they?"

I recognized the winner immediately. "So, you're the presence I've been feeling. It's been a while…Bakura."

He turned to face me, with a sinister grin. Around his neck was the Millennium Ring. "Ah, you. I thought I sensed you somewhere."

"How did you get the Millennium Ring back again?"

"When will you mortals learn? If someone is destined to hold a Millennium Item, they'll inevitably get it back if they lose it." He pulled a small golden sphere out of his pocket. "As you can see, Pegasus was unworthy of wielding the Millennium Eye."

"What are you doing in this castle? Are you working with Garza?"

"You'd be wrong, there," he replied. "I'm simply here to investigate the cause of this darkness. You say it's this Garza person?"

"Yes. He intends to summon the Card Guardian, Kuhates."

Bakura broke into laughter. "What a fool! He intends to defeat Kuhates and be granted a wish, but he's in for a rude awakening."

"How do you mean?"

"Because of the way Kuhates was designed, it gets its power from the one who summoned it in the first place. In other words, he'll be feeding off Garza."

"And that'll leave Garza weaker," I realized. "He'll never be at his full power as long as Kuhates exists."

"That is correct." He pointed at me. "Tell me…care for a Shadow Game?"

"I'd love to, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. Perhaps another time."

He shrugged. "As you wish. I suppose there's little more to do than to say farewell. Of course, against a being like Kuhates, a mortal probably _won't_ fare well." With that, he walked into a dark corner of the room. I didn't need to search for his energy to determine that he was already gone.

I closed my eyes and began focusing again. _"Alright, Garza. Where have you run off to? …Ah, there you are."_ I took a few steps forward, and I suddenly fell.

End Chapter


	9. The Next Champion Emerges?

**Shizuka's Eyes**

"Royal Knight, attack directly!" I declared.

2300/0

My poor opponent was Dr. Kekeru Goyu, a doctor who used to work at the hospital I stayed at. He slacked off, and that made a nurse hit him. When she was fired because of it, I heard that Yugi defeated Goyu in a Shadow Game, and released a tape that recorded Goyu's confession of malpractice, costing him his job.

"No, I lost!" shrieked Goyu.

"Ironic, isn't it?" I asked. "One of your former patients sent _you_ to intensive care!" A second later, he lost his soul to the shadows. I was deeply disturbed with seeing someone suffer so, but I did my best not to show it.

"Nicely done, Shizuka," said Pegasus. "That was quite an interesting mix of healing and attack cards."

"When you two are done clucking," said Taro, "we should probably start looking for Garza again. Maybe we could find him faster if we split up."

"Very well," said Pegasus. "I'll go through this door, and you two keep scanning the hallways. And remember: you two have to keep an eye on each other."

"Aye, sir!" But once Pegasus went through a door Taro said, "Later."

"Wait a minute!" I protested. "Crawford-san said we should stick together!"

"I don't care. I want to crush Garza and win the promo card by myself. And that means I have to find him on my own."

I sighed, realizing there was no possible way I could change his mind. "Fine. I guess I'll see you later, then." With that, I walked into a room, leaning against a far wall. _"Now what? If I don't have help, there's no way I'll be able to find Garza in time."_

Then I remembered back to what Loki said. _"When you insult your skills, you insult your teacher."_

"I'm sorry, Master," I apologized to the air. "I'll never insult you like that again." Remembering some old movies I watched, I wandered over a bookshelf and started pulling some books out. It was a long shot, but it couldn't hurt to try. To my surprise, touching one of the books caused a passage to the right of the shelf to open. "Loki was right; this guy really _is_ a cult classic." Gathering up my courage, I ran down the hidden corridor.

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

As I slowly rose to my feet, I grabbed my head. "Uh…God…my head hurts like a sunnova bitch."

To my surprise, the spirit of Tom was next to me too, clutching his own head. "Me too! What have you done to my body?"

"I remember falling down a deep hole, but nothing after that. I don't even remember the impact." As soon as the room stopped spinning, I observed my surroundings. It looked like a torture chamber of some sort. "Of course; Dracula _was _a sadist."

"Pardon me, stranger," I heard someone say. I looked over and saw a boy on a rack. If he was in pain, he didn't show it. "Would you mind freeing me?"

"How do I know you won't attack me if I do so?"

"I can only give you my word, there. I get the feeling you want to eliminate Garza as much as I do."

I smirked. "I don't think anyone wants to sock it to Garza as much as I do." Nevertheless, I unbound the lad's wrists and ankles.

Doing a few stretches to regain his circulation he said, "Thanks. My name's Shayne Driver."

"Loki Admin," I greeted. Looking up to where I fell from I asked, "What was that I fell through? Some trap door?"

"It _is_ an old castle," he replied. "It was partially restored, but the floors are still probably a little weak. I think it was a freak accident that you fell through." He got off the rack, but immediately fell down. "…I don't think I'll be as much use to you as I thought I'd be."

"Will you be ok? And what were you doing on that thing in the first place?"

"Obviously, I was getting stretched. Garza found me wandering around his castle, which I entered through a secret passage. He wanted to torture me to the point where I hated him so much, my darkness manifested. Luckily, I was too strong to fall to him." Pointing to a wall he said, "the way to Garza's lab is somewhere on that wall. I couldn't get a good view of how to open it, because of the way I was tied."

I walked over and examined the wall. "It looks pretty solid to me." Regardless, I stared running my hands over the wall, looking for some hidden doorknob or switch. I soon hit a soft spot, a piece of the wall slid aside, and a path revealed itself. "Such a cliché." I turned back to Shayne to thank him, but he was already gone.

"Where did he go?" asked Tom.

"No clue," I answered. "Not that it matters. We need to go find Garza!" With that, I ran down the passage.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

I felt a sudden chill as I ran, and I had a bad feeling it wasn't because of the temperature. _"I hope nothing happened to Loki,"_ I thought. But after a while, I felt warmer again. _"That was definitely Loki. I have no idea what trouble he got himself into, but at least he's out."_ I didn't stop to think about how I knew, because I had more important things to do.

When I reached the end of the corridor, I walked into a classic monster-movie lab. I ducked behind a wall when I saw Garza, yelling at two of his minions. One was a woman, and the other was a burly teenage boy. "How is it that most of my minions have already fallen?" demanded Garza. "Must I do everything myself?"

"'_So damn campy', I'm sure Loki would say."_

"Demetrius! Ms. Medusa! Deal with the trash, won't you?"

"_I know those names. Joey told me about them. Demetrius __beat him up, and Medusa __tried to get Téa expelled. I guess this one's for them."_ I stepped out of my hiding place and said, "Don't worry about the trash; I'm about to deal with it myself." I'm sure Loki would've been pleased to hear me say something so tough.

The three of them spun around. "Who are you?" demanded Garza.

"My name's Shizuka. I'm Joey Wheeler's sister, and Téa Gardner's friend. Who wants a duel?"

"There's no time for that. Minions, leave her to me!"

"I think I won't," said Medusa. "That bitch Téa was partly responsible for me nearly losing my beauty!"

"There's no 'nearly' about it," said Demetrius. "Besides, it's Wheeler's fault that I became a quivering mass for a year! Someone's gotta pay!"

I smirked. "Garza, you want in on this?"

"No," said Garza. "I have more important things to do with my time."

"But your lackeys will obviously lose without your help," I teased. _"Come on, let your anger out. An angry opponent is an easy opponent."_

"THAT'S IT!" shrieked Medusa. "Let's get this Shadow Game started!"

"Yeah, let's duel!" yelled Demetrius.

Sadly for them, the duel was completely one-sided; I'll spare you the details, because frankly, they aren't worth talking about. I almost felt bad for them, losing their souls. Then again, I simply couldn't forgive people who hurt my friends. "It's your turn, Garza," I said. "Face me!"

Garza snarled. "Why am I surrounded by these incompetent fools?"

"Let me ask you something: do you get rid of people who you think are _too_ powerful and _too_ smart?"

"Obviously."

I smiled. "Well, that might be your problem."

"Silence, child! You will never leave this chamber alive!" He pulled out his Duel Disk and said, "Soon, you'll come to see…that we scientists are a tricky bunch."

4000/4000

"I'll start," I said. "I summon Layard the Liberator (1400/1500)! Then I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"Very well. I activate Card Destruction, forcing us to discard our hands and draw anew. And from my graveyard, I special summon Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World (1600/1300), and Sillva, Warlord of Dark World (2300/1400)!"

"But how can you do that?" I asked.

"My Dark World monsters are automatically special summoned from the graveyard if they're discarded from my hand. Sillva, destroy Layard!"

"I don't think so. I play Mirror Force, destroying all your monsters!"

"You'll never get away with this!" he snapped. "I'll set one card and end my turn." As I drew he said, "I activate Gateway to Dark World! It lets me special summon one Dark World monster from my graveyard, and I choose Sillva!"

"Before I make my move, I have a question," I said. "Why are you trying to summon Kuhates? What wish is so important that you'd risk the whole world to grant?"

"That's easy; the entire world! Once I defeat Kuhates, I'll wish to be the king of the entire world!"

"_The king of clichés, maybe,"_ I thought.

"I will succeed where all the great conquerors have failed. Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Kahn: they all did a moderately good job, but even _they_ can't compare with what I'll accomplish here tonight."

"…I see. I have one other question."

"What?"

"Were you ever bullied in school?"

He involuntarily flinched when I asked that. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this seemingly insane lust for power; there has to be some reason for it," I explained.

"SHUT UP!" he snapped. "You know nothing about me!"

"_Please don't let him start one of those tired old 'nobody appreciated my genius' speeches,"_ I prayed.

"Nobody appreciated my genius! I used to be a weapons designer for the United States army, little girl. I designed a bomb that would've been enough to destroy all life in a small country in a matter of seconds. Seconds! In one day, America could finish a war that would take years."

"_And now, of course, he'll tell me what made him go insane."_

"But they yanked my funding and kicked me out when I created weapons that they considered too dangerous. I pointed out that weapons were supposed to deadly. They shot back that the civilian casualties were simply too high. I ask you this: if you're at war with a country that's trying to kill you, should protecting the civilians of said country really a priority?"

"So how did you go from being angry about being fired to wanting the entire world?" I asked.

"Well, duh! If I rule the entire world, people will have to create my weapons, and do anything _else_ I say!"

"That's a simple response; not that I expected anything more." _"Why not simply be the next American Republican candidate? Those Americans will do anything a Republican tells them, no matter how much trouble it gets them in."_

"Well, enough pleasantries," he said. "Make your move!"

"I will, and it's gonna blow your mind. I'll use the special effect of Majestic Mech – Goryu: it normally requires two sacrifices, but I can summon it with only one, if I'm willing to let be destroyed at the end of the turn. So, I sacrifice Layard the Liberator to summon Majestic Mech – Goryu (2900/1800)! Next, I remove two light monsters from my graveyard to special summon Soul of Purity and Light (2000/1800) in attack mode!"

"Two high-level monsters in one turn?" demanded Garza.

"Who said I was finished?" I shot back. "I reveal my trap, Ultimate Offering! By paying 500 lifepoints, I can perform another summon. So, I pay 500 to summon Hoshiningen (500/700)!"

3500/4000

"And thanks to Hoshiningen's effect, all Light monsters gain 500 attack points, while all Dark monsters lose 400 attack points."

Gaza flinched. "No way! You'll wipe me out this turn!"

"It certainly looks that way. Goryu, destroy his Sillva!"

3500/2600

"Soul of Purity, attack directly!"

3500/100

"Hoshiningen, finish him off! Star-struck slam attack!"

3500/0

Garza sank to his knees. "No, it's impossible! I'M INVINCIBLE!"

I smiled. "I don't think I've met an invincible person who lost to a rookie in two turns. I guess this means no Card Guardian for you."

"You…stupid child!" To my surprise, he suddenly threw something at me. It struck me in the head and smoke came out, which burned my eyes and throat.

As I cried in agony, I heard Garza run off and someone else run towards me. I don't know how, but somehow I knew who it was. "LOKI?" I sobbed.

"Shizuka!" he yelled back. "Hold on, I'm coming!" I felt him steady me a second later. "My god, Shizuka! What has he done to you? Your eyes are all red!"

"It burns! It burns!" I cried. "He threw some gas at me!"

I heard him start to gag. "Ugh! I think it must be some sort of Capsaicin gas – pepper spray. Start blinking a lot; the tears will wash away the irritation. And don't rub them."

As I blinked, I said, "I did it, Loki! I beat Garza in a duel!"

"You did? That's wonderful! I wish I was there to see it."

"But then you'd be blind too."

"You're not blind, Shizuka. This'll wear off in about thirty minutes. Um…AH! This should help. Face the ceiling."

I did, and I felt something cold poured over my face. "What's this?" I asked, causing some of it to flow into my mouth. "Milk?"

"Yeah. I brought it to drink; you can't defeat ancient evil forces if you don't have your calcium. Don't laugh, 'cause that's just how Lynch brought me up. Besides, it should help dilute some of the Capsaicin too." After about five minutes he asked, "How are you, Shizuka?"

Opening my eyes burned, but I was able to see again. "I'm a bit better, but I think it'll be a while before I see anything."

"I'll take you back to the base, if you don't feel like helping me find Garza."

I shook my head. "I'm ok. I'm here now, and I want to see this ordeal though to the end…even though I can't see."

"I understand completely." He helped me to my feet. Then, to my surprise, he lifted me off my feet, carrying me as if I was a helpless damsel. "Let's go find Garza."

"…Lead the way," was the only response I could give.

End Chapter

Curses! Poor Shizuka nearly saved the world, but that evil Garza pulled such a dirty trick. It looks like this story isn't quite over yet.


	10. Clash! The Champions of Darkness Collide

**Loki's Eyes**

As I carried her for the following five minutes, she told me about what happened between the time we split up and the time we regrouped. By the end, I was quite stunned. "You actually took out Garza on your second turn?"

"That's right," she said. "I guess he got a very bad starting hand."

"You're always quick to sell yourself short," I scolded. "Didn't it occur to you that maybe you were just a lot stronger than he was?"

"No, not really," she said. "I mean, I haven't even been actively playing Duel Monsters for a week. He was my fifth duel since I started. Really, I shouldn't have been able to take him out as quickly as I did."

"Not every villain you encounter will be a good duelist," I answered. "On the other hand, perhaps you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. Maybe you're a natural."

She frowned. "You think?"

"Sure! Joey was a complete novice before he participated in the Duelist Kingdom tournament. And yet, he became the runner-up, second only to Yugi. You Wheelers are really quite amazing."

She blushed and held me back. "Thanks, Loki-Sensei."

"Of course." Sadly, her victory tasted a little sour on my part. _"Of course, it means I trained her well. But now, she's entitled to the card I wanted to win for her. …I suppose I'll have to wait for another opportunity to express my feelings."_

Eventually, we arrived at the final door. Yugi and Téa quickly caught up to us. "Hey!" greeted Téa. "How was your path after we split up? …My god! What happened to Shizuka?"

"Garza played a dirty trick on her and escaped," I answered. "But she'll be ok soon. What about you two?"

"I can't complain. The duels were certainly tough, but nothing I couldn't handle without Yugi."

"As it should be," I replied. "After all, Yugi rocks."

Yugi blushed. "Well, you _did_ beat me, you know."

"True, but I can't honestly say I defeated you until I beat your Pharaoh friend." I placed Shizuka back on her feet and said, "And now for the dramatic entrance." I kicked the door in and yelled, "It's over, Garza!"

"There's nobody in there," pointed out Téa.

"…No, there isn't," I answered, a little embarrassed. "That kind of ruined the suspense." We cautiously walked inside, keeping an eye out for any traps.

The only thing we saw in the room was some kind of altar. There was a circle drawn in the centre, with various runes drawn throughout. A mass of black flame levitated above the symbol, seemingly trapped in a giant glass ball. "What is that thing?" asked Shizuka.

"It's a lot of pure dark energy," I answered. "I can feel it expanding by the second. If it keeps growing at this rate, it'll soon break free of the glass."

"That's right!" We spun towards the source of the voice. Garza appeared through a secret passage in the room. "It's with this dark energy that I intend to resurrect Kuhates, the Card Guardian."

"How could you have gathered so much energy in such a short time?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. Originally, I was going to only use Dracula's energy; there's certainly more than enough taint in his soul to get the job done. However, he's been dead for over a century, which makes it hard to draw the energy from his burial place; it's like drawing water from a brick. But then I discovered another way, and faster too!" He pointed to Yugi. "It was all thanks to Yugi Moto."

"What do you mean?" demanded Yugi.

"It's all thanks to the many penalty games you played. When a person suffers penalty game, a wraith is created which aimlessly wanders the Shadow Realm. These wraiths retain the memories and physical forms of the victims, along with a thirst for revenge. And when they are defeated, they release an abundance of dark energy."

"So it was all a trick!" said Shizuka. "Your minions weren't supposed to stop us; they were only around to lose."

Garza shrugged. "It didn't really matter either way. If you lost, I would've had more time to absorb more of Dracula's dark energy into the glass orb. In other words…by fighting at all, you lost!" He then gave a maniacal laugh.

Loki smirked. "I guess you're smarter than I gave you credit for, which isn't really saying much. However, there's a snag in your plan."

"Do tell."

"I had a word with an expert on all things occult. The moment you summon Kuhates, he'll drain your power. His design makes it impossible for the summoner to defeat him."

"Do you honestly think I didn't already know how he works?" he snapped. "I know his flaw, and that's why I'm going to have my wish granted in a different way." He walked over and placed his hand on the glass orb. "I will…become _one _with Kuhates!"

"Um…the hell you will." With that, I charged over and punched his ugly mug, knocking him off the altar. "You may be a brilliant scientist, but I doubt you're prepared to rumble outside the duel field."

As Garza climbed to his feet he snarled, "That's where you're wrong. I've anticipated every eventuality." With that, he drew a revolver and pointed it at me. "Now, I'd suggest you slowly rejoin your friends."

"Look, he's got a gun," I snarled. "It's probably his ultimate weapon. I hope he doesn't miss."

"Oh, please! I know a bluff when I see one. Just rejoin your friends before you get hurt." Once I walked back he said, "The time has now come." Running up to the altar he declared, "I release you from your confines! Rise, Kuhates!"

The darkness exploded, completely incinerating the glass. But rather than ducking like we did, Garza ran into the eye of the dark storm, hoping to absorb the energy. However, a sudden surge knocked Garza away. And within a minute, the darkness took a solid shape. I felt as if I was impaled by an icicle; that's the only way I could describe the horrible feeling.

"So, I've once again been returned," said Kuhates once he completely manifested. "It's good to be real again." He turned to Garza. "And you're the fool who tried to absorb me."

"I am no fool!" he snapped. "I am Nigel Garza, and I'm going to rule the world once I defeat you in a duel!"

"Fool. You are not worthy." And with a wave of his hand, Garza turned into a card!

I ran over and examined what he became. On that card was his mug shot, permanently frozen with a look of terror. I stood up and glared at Kuhates. "You'll pay for this," I vowed. "It's my turn to duel."

"Loki, no!" Shizuka protested. "If you lose, you'll be turned into a card too!"

"Indeed." I pointed at Kuhates. "Face me, Kuhates! I invoke your eternal challenge; if I win, you will grant any wish of mine!"

"…Very well," he said as a Duel Disk appeared on his arm. "Prepare yourself."

4000/4000

"I'll start by placing two cards facedown, and playing a monster in defense mode," I said. "Make your move, Kuhates!" _"Attack my facedown monster all you want; it's the Spirit Reaper (300/200), and it can't be destroyed in battle."_

"That's an interesting opening," he said as he drew. "However, it's nothing I can't handle. First I play Heavy Storm, blowing away your facedown cards!" The cards he wiped out were Spirit Barrier and Astral Barrier. "So much for your Ultimate Barrier Combo."

"It's not as if I'm helpless without it," I snarled. "Are you done?"

"Not quite. Next, I play Raigeki, which lets me destroy all monsters on your field!" Once my last defense was gone he declared, "Now, I summon Injection Fairy Lily (400/1500)! I attack, using her ability to pay 2000 lifepoints to increase her attack points by 3000 for the rest of the turn." I screamed in pain as the attack struck.

600/2000

"And then I play Sebek's Blessing, which increases my lifepoints by the amount you just lost."

600/5400

"Finally, I'll set one card. I end my turn."

I looked in disgust at the field, as well as our lifepoint counters. _"Ok. Needless to say, I'm not off to a good start. In one move, he disrupted my strategy and put a 4800 lifepoint gap between us. Plus, he's in a position to strike again."_

"Have you figured it out yet?" he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I'm playing with your deck, with stronger cards to replace the weaker ones. That is my ultimate dueling technique."

"I suspected as much," I answered.

"Then answer this; how do you plan to defeat me when you know for a fact my deck is stronger than yours?"

"With relative ease."

"Are these the terrified ramblings of a desperate man?"

"Here's something to be terrified about; Amazoness Swordswoman (1500/1600), in attack mode! I strike down your monster!" Here was my plan; in order for Kuhates to keep his monster on the field, he'd have to use Fairy Lily's ability again. However, my monster would give him the damage. And that, coupled with the 2000 he'd have to pay, would lower Kuhates's lifepoints by 3900, which was too low for him to use Fairy Lily's effect again.

But to my surprise, he simply said, "It looks like my monster's done for." And mine took out his without a fight.

600/4300

He smirked. "Fool. Did you really think I'd fall for such an obvious trick? I've been dueling since the start of the Shadow Games!"

"Sorry." I was furious with myself. _"Of course he wouldn't fall for that! Even if he was summoned by Garza, he has more experience than I have hairs on my head. If I want to defeat this guy, I'll have to be more creative."_ "I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Then it's time for round two. I play Card of Sanctity to replenish our hands, by forcing the both of us to draw until we each hold six cards. Then, I summon Berserk Gorilla (2000/1000)! Next, I play Monster Reborn to resurrect Injection Fairy Lily! Gorilla, attack his monster!"

I figured he was trying to create an opening to devastate my lifepoints with Fairy Lily again, but I wouldn't give him such an opportunity. "I reveal Magic Cylinder, negating your attack and causing you to lose lifepoints equal to Gorilla's attack points!"

600/2300

"It looks like we're back to where we started; with your Fairy Lily being unable to stop my monster."

Suddenly, he started laughing. "Fool. I just wanted you to waste your trap. I reveal my facedown card, Ultimate Offering! It lets me pay 500 lifepoints to summon another monster. And the best part is that I can do it as many times as I want, because it's a permanent trap. And so, I pay 500 lifepoints…"

600/1800

"…so I can sacrifice my monsters for Guardian Angel Joan (2800/2000)! Then I pay another 500…"

600/1300

"…so I can set a monster in defense mode."

"Who cares if you have Joan on the field?" I snapped. "After all, you're on your Main Phase 2, meaning you can't attack anymore this turn."

"You're right; I can't attack _this _turn. However, I play Mischief of the Time Goddess, advancing the duel right to my next Main Phase 1. Then I flip my facedown monster, the Magician of Faith (300/400)! That lets me put a spell back in my hand, and I chose Raigeki! And I use it to wipe out all your monsters!"

A second later, I was wide open. "I…I can't stop your attack!"

"I know. Guardian Angel Joan, finish him off!"

"Argh…NO! I discard Kuriboh, nullifying the damage!"

"A futile effort; I still have Magician of Faith! I attack you directly!"

300/1300

He laughed triumphantly. "For now, I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master to increase my lifepoints by 1000, ending my turn. Your next turn will be the last!"

300/2300

I stared at my deck. _"He's right. I won't have another turn after this, so I need to win it in this one." _I placed my fingers on the top card of my deck. _"This is the ultimate test in my faith in my deck." _With that, I drew.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

I never saw such bold determination in Loki's eyes before. I could tell he wouldn't accept defeat, no matter what he drew. And at that point, I realized if there was only one person other than Yugi who could defeat Kuhates, it was him.

Somehow, I felt the dark energy in the card he drew, but it carried the soul of light that was destined to burn his opponent to ashes. "As you said, Kuhates, it ends here! The card I drew will finish you off…and it's Mataza the Zapper (1300/800) in attack mode!"

Kuhates raised his eyebrow. "And how is that going to help you? One blast from Guardian Angel Joan will crush it along with your lifepoints."

Loki smiled, full of confidence. "Take a look at the field, Kuhates. You're the evil force that'll destroy this world, and your field has nothing but light monsters. I'm saving the world, and my champion is a dark monster. Isn't it kind of weird?"

"…"

"See, I used to think that light and dark meant good and evil, respectively. But I've learned that light and dark are simply forces that balance everything. The truth is that there are only two kinds of true evil in the universe: those who hurt people for their own selfish gain, and those who try to disrupt the balance between the light and darkness. And right now, the being with the most evil would have to be you, for your very design was intended to inflict misery on others, and your mere presence makes the darkness multiply and smother the light. And it's my duty to make sure you don't disturb the balance of this world!"

"Try it."

"I will, but right now my dark monster seems lonely. What he needs to be complete is a little light. And in order to give him that light, I'll siphon it from Guardian Angel Joan, with the power of Riryoku!"

Kuhates flinched. "What?"

"This card will transfer half of the attack points of your Guardian Angel Joan to Mataza the Zapper," Loki explained. "And with this extra backing from the light, neither of your monsters can withstand its attack! Mataza, wipe out his Guardian Angel Joan!" Mataza dashed over and struck down his monster with a glowing blade.

300/1000

"And now to wipe out your final defense, for my monster can attack twice per turn. Mataza, cut down Magician of Faith and finish him off! THE END!"

300/0

"Hurray!" I cheered. "You beat Kuhates!"

"I don't believe this!" exclaimed Kuhates as he fell to his knees. "The mightiest duelist in history…defeated by a boy! Tell me your name!"

"I am Loki Admin," he answered. "The Selkirk Rex."

"Well, name your wish."

Loki stood in silence for a short time, probably trying to figure out what the best possible wish he could make was. After a time he said, "I wish that you'd become a human with no magic power, except for your deck-copy ability."

I looked up in surprise. "What? Why?"

"You don't really want this guy walking around free, do you?" asked Téa.

He turned to us. "Think about it; if he's human, he won't be able to call any more Shadow Games. Plus, we can duel him again in a risk-free duel."

Yugi sighed with a smile. "The Duelist Spirit…even if I _was_ brainwashed, I still can't believe I've forgotten. Thanks, Loki."

"Your wish is granted," said Kuhates. "We shall meet again someday. Farewell." With that, he faded away.

A second later, Garza became his old self again, lying on the ground. "Oh…my head. What happened? I remember challenging Kuhates and…wait! I see, now!" He jumped up and shouted, "I've emerged triumphant, and have become the ruler of the world!"

We all looked at him awkwardly. "Um, Loki-Sensei?" I asked. "Do you think we should tell-"

"No, leave him be," Loki said as we walked away. "There's nothing more pathetic than self-delusion, but I think he deserves it."

End Chapter


	11. Dawn of a New Day

**Loki's Eyes**

Once we regrouped at the front, we gave a final debriefing to Pegasus, describing how many people we defeated, and the fate of Nigel Garza and Kuhates.

"Most impressive," said Pegasus as he pulled out his promotional card. "Personally, my money was on Yugi-boy for the win. As a reward for your splendid performance: Shizuka Wheeler, this is for you."

She took the card and examined it a little. "Unity," she said, reading the title aloud.

I gazed at the card. "Well, look at that. Our friends are immortalized." On the card's picture were Yugi, Téa, Joey and Tristan with their hands in a circle.

"…I want you to have this," she said, holding the card out for me.

I was quite startled. "Huh? Shizuka?"

"It's nothing, really," she said, looking away. "It's just…an offering from student to teacher, that's all. Please, take it."

"_Is that why she wanted the card? She wanted to give it to me, just as I wanted to give it to her? Maybe she loves me too! …Maybe I'm reading too much into it."_ I bowed politely and said, "I'm grateful."

Lynch grinned. "Do I hear wedding bells? I hope it's a cheap dowry, because Loki's absolutely broke."

"Shut up!" I snapped. "How is it that I'm more mature than you, old man?"

"You'd better not call me 'old man' again, squirt."

"You'd better not call me 'squirt' again, stupid bastard!"

I won't bore you with the details, because this went on for quite some time. Once the rest of the duelists were paid, Nigel Garza was taken into custody by the EDL. He'll probably be taken into psychiatric care to help with his mad scientist syndrome, or whatever the hell it is; I'm not a medical man. All of the families of the missing duelists were informed that they were returning home soon. A little concerned about Bakura, as well as that Shayne Driver kid, I gave their descriptions to some of the agents.

Bakura was found asleep outside the temple, with the Millennium Ring mysteriously missing. He had absolutely no idea what he was going in Romania. Driver, however, was nowhere to be found. I decided that it wasn't an issue I needed to concern myself with, but something lurked in the back of my head. There was something about Driver that seemed somewhat familiar. Somehow, I doubted it would be our last meeting.

**000000000  
Shizuka's Eyes**

There we were, about an hour later, our plane flying home over the Chinese countryside. Both Téa and Yugi were asleep, but Loki was wide awake. "Do you ever sleep?" I asked.

"Occasionally," he answered. "I've learned to control my heart rate, so I don't require as much rest as others do. It was something I learned to do to cope with my blood-hacking. Once time, I played a prank on a babysitter; I made my heart beat so slowly, she thought I was dead."

I giggled a little. "Loki, you're so evil!"

"I suppose I am to some extent." He indicated Yugi, who was asleep on a cot. As he pulled the loose blanket over Yugi he said, "Perhaps that's the best way. Let Yugi and the Pharaoh play the part of the heroes; such a heavy task is a real burden for me."

I sat back in my chair and said, "Loki-Sensei? …I don't think I thanked you properly for saving me."

"You don't need to." He pulled out the Unity spell card. "As duelists, we're bound together by our many relationships: student/teacher, rivals, and most importantly, friends. And the one feeling they all give me is that I want what's best for you."

I remained silent for a moment as I let his words sink in. "…When we get back to Azamawa, let's work on my deck."

"Gladly. But we're going to Domino first; there's something I've been meaning to do…"

**000000000  
Loki's Eyes**

Once we landed, we met Joey and Tristan in Clock Tower Square. We told them everything that happened. "Whew!" exclaimed Joey. "You guys clearly had an adventure and a half."

"Yeah!" agreed Tristan. "Loki, you saved the world!"

"I guess I did," I answered. "And it was very exhausting. It was fun for a time, but I think from now on, I'm going to leave saving the world to Yugi if I can. He has more experience in that department anyway."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Yugi said dryly.

"And anyway, to celebrate your return to the side of good, I think I have a new villain lined up for you."

He raised his eyebrow. "A villain? Who's that?"

"…Me." I tossed my coat off and said, "Playing the bad guy is fun, so let's play a game. I want you to come at me with all your power, or I will destroy the world!"

Yugi smiled and activated his Duel Disk. "Alright, Loki! I guess it's time to end your evil ways!"

"This Yugi is much too weak. Show me…the other Yugi!"

Yugi smirked just before he switched with the Pharaoh. "Alright, Loki. I'll indulge you." And with that, our game began.

The End…or not.

Loki and Shizuka have many more adventures in store for them before they hang up their Duel Disks for good.


	12. Closing: In a Heartbeat

Usyra: Hello again, fans! It's time once again for the closing theme. We, Usyra and the Duel Boys are gonna bring it to you with-"

Loki: Ahem! Pardon me, Usyra, but I've just had a chat with the band on the subject of our name.

Usyra: What about the name?

Loki: It sucks, basically. We've unanimously voted on a different name. We're the band known as Destiny Draw.

Usyra: Isn't that just a shameless plug for your special technique?

Loki: Oh, and you should talk!? You're the one who's trying to insert yourself into your own Yu-gi-oh fanfic. You know you wouldn't survive with Yugi, so you're trying to get a singing part. It's pitiful, really.

Usyra: …Can we please move onto the song?

Loki: Very well. Today, we've chosen a song from Ringo Starr, called "In a Heartbeat". We felt it fit in with my secret-

Usyra: (Yeah, "secret"!)

Loki" -desire to be with Shizuka. I shall once again sing the lead. So lads, if you're ready, let's play. One, two, three, four…

000000000

If you're ever feelin' down  
If your world ain't turning' 'round  
I'll make it turn around for you  
I'll do whatever I can do

If you ever need someone (if you need someone)  
I would love to be the one  
Call when you're feelin' all alone (when you're all alone)  
If you just need a hand to hold (when you need a hand to hold)

In a heartbeat  
I'll be by your side  
Anytime you want me  
Anytime you want me  
In a heartbeat  
You can have my love  
Anytime you want me  
Baby in a heartbeat  
I'll be there

If your sky is full of rain  
I'll help you find the sun again  
I'll chase the clouds away for you  
I'll find a brighter day for you

Any hour of the night (you know I'll be there)  
I'll be there as fast as lightning strikes  
And when you're feeling all alone (when you're all alone)  
I'll be the hand that you can hold (when you need a hand to hold)

In a heartbeat  
I'll be by your side  
Anytime you want me  
Anytime you want me  
In a heartbeat  
You can have my love  
Anytime you want me  
Baby in a heart beat  
I'll be there

(Baby, in a heartbeat I'll be there)

In a heartbeat  
I'll be by your side  
Anytime you want me  
Anytime you want me  
In a heartbeat  
You can have my love  
Anytime you want me  
Baby in a heart beat  
I'll be there

In a heartbeat  
I'll be by your side  
Anytime you want me  
Anytime you want me  
In a heartbeat  
You can have my love…

000000000

Usyra: How was that?

Loki: Meh, close enough. I'd suggest you work on your fingering a bit more; you know, so you don't sound like a man playing only with his toes. (Walks off)

Usyra: Tactful as always. (sighs)


End file.
